Amid protests, Group-1 exam held without hitch

Hyderabad: Despite protests by various student organisations and opposition parties, the TGPSC conducted the Group-1 Mains examination on Monday. Tight security was provided at all examination halls and imposed restrictions on the movement of people.

Several groups of aspirants seeking a postponement of the exams expressed concerns over various issues, including court cases, inadequate preparation time, and the late release of hall tickets for the sports quota, which fuelled unrest among Group-I job aspirants in Telangana. The delayed release of hall tickets caused many to struggle to reach their exam centres. Aspirants also criticised the Supreme Court's decision, stating that it crushed their hopes, and called for an expedited hearing of GO 29.

Out of 31,382 candidates, 22744 candidates attend on the first of the exam.Hyderabad district recorded an attendance of 87.23 per cent and Medchal-Malkajgiri recorded an attendance of 67.49per cent . As per orders of the Telangana High Court, 20 sports candidates have been additionally permitted to write the Group-I Mains Exam.

Several incidents occurred at various exam centres. At one centre in Begumpet, a female aspirant attempted to jump the wall after being denied entry for arriving late. Another incident took place at Koti Women's College, where some aspirants argued with officials, demanding to be allowed inside before the designated time.

According to TGPSC officials, the Group-1 Mains exams are being conducted for the first time in the separate State of Telangana. On the first day, the General English qualifying test took place at 46 centres across Medchal-Malkajgiri, Rangareddy, and Hyderabad districts. The previous exam was held in 2011. District Collectors and police officials inspected the centres to ensure proper arrangements. For the first time, GPS tracking was used for the vehicles transporting the question papers. In response to agitation for postponement, strict security measures were implemented, with Section 144 enforced near exam centres to prevent gatherings.

Sindhu, a Group I aspirant whose exam centre was at Begumpet Government Degree College, stated that the qualifying paper was quite easy. "For the past two weeks, we were uncertain about whether the exam would be postponed or not, but finally, we were able to take it," she said. Sindhu appreciated the Supreme Court's judgement, noting that it directed the Telangana High Court to deliver its final verdict as soon as possible. The High Court's decision is expected by November 20.

"We had hoped that the Supreme Court would rule in our favour, but that didn’t happen. However, we remain optimistic that the upcoming High Court hearing on GO 29 will be in our favour," said Shivanand, another aspirant.

"Due to the various agitations by aspirants, I was left in a state of confusion, which affected my preparation.

To make matters worse, I received my hall ticket just one day before the exam. It's unfair, as I live in Karimnagar and my centre was at Loyola Junior College. The late release caused significant hardship in reaching the centre," said Suresh, another aspirant.

Collector Anudeep Durishetty stated that Hyderabad district has eight centres accommodating 5,613 candidates. During his inspection of the centres, he confirmed that all arrangements were in place, including a medical team at each location and an uninterrupted power supply. He also informed that 56 personnel had been appointed as identification officers, with each officer responsible for verifying the identity of 100 candidates at the entrance.