Did Telangana HC Annul Group-I Exam Results?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- The Telangana High Court annulled the Group-I exam results.
- A re-evaluation of answer sheets is mandated.
- Over 30,000 students are impacted by this ruling.
- The court emphasized adherence to Supreme Court guidelines.
- Failure to re-evaluate will lead to a re-examination.
Hyderabad, Sep 9 (NationPress) In a significant ruling regarding the Group-I Main examination, the Telangana High Court on Tuesday declared the results void and mandated a re-evaluation of the answer sheets.
Justice Namavarapu Rajeswara Rao annulled both the general ranking list and the selected candidates' list.
This decision followed petitions from several candidates who alleged irregularities in the examination's execution and the grading process.
Approximately 30,000 students took part in the Group-I Mains exams organized by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) from October 21 to 27, 2024. The results were announced on March 10, 2025, alongside a general ranking list.
The single-judge bench, which reserved its judgment in July, issued the ruling on Tuesday, instructing the TSPSC to finalize the re-evaluation and announce the results within eight months.
The court clarified that should the re-evaluation not occur, the Main exams would be canceled, necessitating a re-examination for all candidates who passed the Prelims.
The court highlighted a failure to adhere to Supreme Court guidelines from the Sanjay Singh versus UPSC case during the grading process.
It mandated that the re-evaluation employ a 'moderation' system, a widely accepted evaluation method for competitive exams.
During the proceedings, the court questioned the decision to involve non-Telugu evaluators. The judge inquired about the ability of these evaluators to accurately assess scripts written in Telugu.
Responding to the High Court's ruling, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Minister T. Harish Rao labeled it a significant blow to the state government. He stated, “Given the doubts surrounding exam center allocations, hall ticket issuance, and allegations of misconduct, this verdict is a considerable setback for the state.”
Harish Rao accused the government of jeopardizing students' futures through flawed examination practices and demanded a response from Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy regarding the court's order.
“Your haste and irregularities in conducting exams have led to suffering among students and the unemployed. The Congress government has shown a lack of competence to manage examinations properly,” he remarked.
The TSPSC conducted the Group-I Main examinations in October last year to fill 563 Group-I positions within various state departments, amidst controversy over a government order adjusting reservation policies.
The Telangana High Court had rejected requests to postpone the exams, and the Supreme Court dismissed petitions contesting the High Court’s decision.
A total of 31,383 candidates applied for the exams, qualifying from around 3.02 lakh who participated in the preliminary examination held in June.
This marked the first instance since the formation of Telangana State that Group-I Mains exams were conducted; the last occurrence was in 2011.
Previous Group-1 prelims faced controversies, including paper leaks and legal disputes over compliance with examination norms and irregularities in 2022 and 2023.
Conducting the Group-I Main and other competitive examinations to address vacancies was a central promise made by the Congress party during the Assembly elections in November 2023.