Break on Telangana Group-1 Recruitment Process
The Telangana High Court has imposed a temporary halt on the Group-1 recruitment process in the state. The court has ordered that appointment letters must not be issued to any candidates until the hearings are completed. However, it has permitted the authorities to continue with the certificate verification process of the selected candidates.
This action comes after a group of around 20 unemployed candidates filed a petition in the Telangana High Court, alleging serious irregularities in the Group-1 examination process. The court accepted the petitions for hearing on Thursday and issued interim directions restricting the issuance of appointment letters.
Over the past few days, Group-1 recruitment has become a topic of controversy. Concerns have been raised over low marks awarded to Telugu medium candidates, while a majority of top ranks were secured by English medium candidates, raising suspicions of bias. There are also allegations of mass selection from a few exam centers, further intensifying doubts about the fairness of the process.
The petitioners brought to the court’s attention that the Group-1 Mains paper evaluation process lacked transparency and fairness. They claimed that the improper preparation and evaluation of answer sheets led to losses for several candidates. They urged the court to either re-evaluate the Mains papers or conduct the Mains examination afresh. Furthermore, they requested that the evaluation process be either supervised by the High Court or entrusted to an independent body. The petition named both the Telangana State Government and TGPSC (Telangana Public Service Commission) as respondents.
Adding fuel to the controversy, BRS MLA Kaushik Reddy recently made serious allegations, claiming that the Group-1 recruitment process involved a multi-crore rupee scam. He raised questions about how 10 candidates who didn’t even appear for the exam managed to show up in the Mains results. He demanded an immediate cancellation of the exam and a CBI investigation. Other opposition leaders have also joined in criticizing the process. Despite the growing criticism, TGPSC has denied all allegations. Still, the High Court, acknowledging the concerns raised, has ordered the commission to pause the appointment process until the final verdict is given. The next hearing has been scheduled for the 28th of this month.
