Hyderabad: Heavy security has been deployed at Ashok Nagar following Telangana chief secretary A Santhi Kumari’s orders amid protests by Group 1 mains aspirants.
The CS held a virtual meeting to review preparations for the Group 1 mains exam with Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC) chairperson Mahender Reddy, director general of police Dr Jitender and other senior officials.
Police vehicles were seen making rounds near study circles. A few students were seen discussing the issue outside the circles where they were confronted by security personnel. Groups of three or more students were being questioned by the police.
While the chief secretary reviewed the exam preparations, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud held a separate meeting with the protesting aspirants.
Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud also met the protesting aspirants and assured them of addressing their issues. The aspirants further demanded that the Group 1 mains exams be postponed. The aspirants further urged the Goud to amend Government Order 29.
On Wednesday, October 16, several Group 1 aspirants protested at Ashoknagar, demanding the postponement of the exam. According to reports quite a few of them were detained and were taken to Chikkadpally police station.
The candidates demanded that unless the mistakes in the answer key for the Group 1 prelim were rectified, and GO 29 was amended, there was no point in appearing for the Group 1 mains exam.
What are Group 1 aspirants demanding?
The ongoing protests by Group 1 aspirants in Telangana entered their second day, with candidates gathering at Gandhinagar Park to voice their concerns and demands regarding the Group 1 examination process.
The aspirants are specifically seeking clarity on several critical issues following the introduction of Government Order (GO) 55, which has raised questions about the future of their examinations.
One of the primary demands of the aspirants is to understand the implications if the court orders the implementation of GO 55. They are keen to know whether the government will consider re-conducting the Group 1 mains examination in light of this order. If so, aspirants want to clarify whether this re-examination would apply to all candidates or only to those who become newly eligible under GO 55.
In addition to this, the candidates are demanding transparency on the next steps the Telangana Government would take if the Group 1 exams are cancelled. They demand clarity on whether there will be a complete re-examination for all candidates or if it will be limited to those impacted by the changes introduced by GO 55.
Another significant concern raised by the aspirants is regarding the fairness of the examination process. They demand assurances that measures will be in place to ensure fairness for candidates who were previously eligible under GO 29 but are at a disadvantage due to the implementation of GO 55.
The aspirants also seek information on whether any normalization processes will be established to balance the changes brought about by the new order.
Moreover, the aspirants have pointed out discrepancies in the hall ticket numbers for the preliminary and mains examinations, raising concerns about potential irregularities or a hidden agenda.
