Hyderabad: The Telangana Public Service Commission held the Group-1 services preliminary test at 897 examination centres in the 33 districts of the State on Sunday. However, numerous Group-I aspirants were denied entry to exam centers across the state due to the strict enforcement of the ‘one minute rule.’
The examination began at 10:30 am, but candidates were barred from entering starting at 10:00 am, causing many to miss their chance to take the test.
Many students were seen crying at the gates as police enforced the entry cutoff time. One distressed candidate shared her ordeal, “I traveled more than 30 kilometers to reach this center. I was unfamiliar with the area and the college until today. I was just five minutes late.”
The rule sparked outrage among candidates, who criticized the Commission’s rigid time schedule. A candidate who missed the exam at an examination centre at Ramanthapur expressed frustration, calling the rule unfair. “I arrived at the exam center at 10:03 am, but the security staff refused to let me in. The exam had not yet started, but they were adamant about not allowing latecomers. Do all government officials arrive at their offices exactly on time? If not, do they go back home for being three or four minutes late?” he questioned.
A total of 4.03 lakh candidates had applied for the exam, aimed at filling 563 vacancies. Out of this, 3.02 lakh candidates or 74% appeared in the test. No untoward incident was reported from the centres.
The bilingual question paper, available in both English and Telugu, comprised 150 questions covering general studies and mental ability. Candidates were allotted two and a half hours, from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., to complete the exam on OMR sheets. There was no negative marking.
To ensure a fair and secure examination process, several measures were implemented. These included biometric attendance for candidates, CCTV-monitored strongrooms and examination centers, and a dedicated sitting squad for each center.
The strict enforcement of the ‘one minute rule’ has raised concerns about its impact on candidates who invested significant effort and time to reach their exam centers, only to be turned away minutes before the exam began.
