Petitioners Allege Vyapam Like Scandal In TGPSC Exams
Counsel argues the recruitment process was manipulated with unqualified evaluators, likening it to Vyapam scam; TGPSC defends transparency, says allegations baseless.
Hyderabad: In the writ petitions filed for the cancellation or re-evaluation of the Group-1 examinations conducted by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TGPSC), the petitioners argued on Wednesday that the exams had been manipulated and fraudulently conducted to favour certain candidates. Senior counsel B. Rachana Reddy, representing several petitioners, claimed that the Group-1 preliminary exams resembled the Vyapam and West Bengal teachers’ recruitment scams. She urged the court either to order a judicial inquiry or to cancel the examinations.
During arguments, Rachana Reddy also contended that unqualified, ineligible evaluators had been appointed to assess the answer sheets, disproportionately affecting students from Telugu-medium backgrounds, as many evaluators were not familiar with the language.
Another senior advocate, K.S. Murthy, appearing for the petitioners, reminded the court that the Andhra Pradesh High Court had previously intervened in a government-conducted recruitment process on similar grounds, appointing ineligible evaluators. He noted that TGPSC had appointed JNTU faculty with technical expertise as evaluators.
Senior counsel S. Niranjan Reddy, representing TGPSC, countered that the Group-1 exams had been conducted transparently and without irregularities. He explained that each answer script was reviewed by three examiners, and the average of the top two scores was used. He refuted the allegations of malpractice and favoritism, pointing out that the answer sheets were bar-coded, preventing evaluators from identifying candidates or centers. He further argued that courts should not interfere in recruitment processes except in cases of gross rule violations or proven fraud.
Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao adjourned the hearing until Thursday after TGPSC’s counsel requested additional time to conclude their submissions.
