Hyderabad: A group of aspirants for the TGPSC Group 1 exam held a protest at Ashok Nagar on Sunday. They urged the Telangana government to postpone the exam, which is scheduled for October 21, and to revoke Government Order (GO) 29. The protestors expressed their frustration because some candidates, particularly those eligible under the sports quota, received a message to download their hall tickets only on the evening of October 19, giving them just 48 hours to prepare for the exam.
The aspirants raised several concerns. One major issue is the uncertainty around the study material for the exam. Another significant concern is the impact of GO 29, which has changed the reservation norms for SC, ST, BC, and EWS categories. Due to these changes, many candidates are now ineligible under the new rules. These changes are currently being reviewed by the Telangana High Court. The court’s interim order has stated that the results of the Group 1 exam will depend on its final verdict, which is expected on November 20, 2024. This has left many candidates uncertain about the validity and fairness of the exam results.
Ramesh Reddy, one of the protestors, said, “Some candidates under the sports quota were only issued their hall tickets last night, just 48 hours before the scheduled exam. This last-minute notification has caused extreme confusion, as we got very little time for preparation.”
Over the past week, the protests have led to police interventions, including lathi-charges and the detention of some candidates. One aspirant from Nizamabad shared their experience, saying, “I passed my qualifying exams and have been preparing for the Mains. I live in Nizamabad, which is seven hours away from Hyderabad, and I only received my exam center location one day before the exam. It’s unfair for candidates like us who live far away.”
The protestors are continuing their demonstrations, demanding more time to prepare and a reconsideration of the new policies affecting their eligibility.
