'Intervening Now Would Lead To Chaos': Supreme Court Refuses To Postpone Telangana State Civil Services Exams

The Supreme Court today (October 21) refused to postpone the conduct of the Telangana Civil Services Exams for the Group-1 category which is scheduled for today. The Court noted that intervening at the present stage would invite 'chaos'. 

The bench led by CJI DY Chandrachud comprising Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra was informed that the exam is to take place today at 2 PM and candidates have already arrived at the examination halls.  

The plea was against the interim order of the Telangana High Court before which the challenge to the Exams has been pending. Before the High Court, the petitioner has challenged the Government Notification no.2 dated 19.2.2024 for allegedly arbitrarily treating the Special Reservations viz Physically Handicapped Reservation as the Vertical Reservation instead of treating them as the Horizontal Reservation.

Amendments to Rules 22 and 22(A) of Telangana State and Subordinate Service Rules relating to the fixing of roster points under special reservations (including SC/ST/SEBCs) and women reservations have also been challenged. Additionally, the Telangana State Public Service Commission had 10 days before the exam invalidated those study materials which were heavily relied on by the candidates for preparations. 

Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal appearing for the petitioner urged an immediate stay on holding exams considering that these were filling Group-1 Positions and petitioners may lose out a golden opportunity. 

"After 14 years, the examination is being held. The reorganization took place in 2014, 10 years after that. It is Group-1 posts, it will never we filled again. I am only asking for postponement,"  Sibal expressed. 

CJI, refusing to intervene in the matter at the last stage remarked 

"Mr Sibal at this point of time, how can we intervene? There will be chaos if we intervene at this stage, the students are the exam centre" 

"How can we postpone? It will be extraordinary for us to do that," CJI added. 

Since the matter was listed for hearing before the High Court, the bench refused to entertain it any further to avoid chaos. It however requested the High Court to consider the matter before the declaration of results. It also noted that the results will be subject to the final outcome of the challenge. 

"The HC has specified that any selection made for group 1 services shall abide by final out come of the proceedings. The proceedings are listed before the High Court for 20th November 2024. The Court is apprised of the fact that the examination is due to commence from today at 2P.M and the students have already reported to the examination centers. We are of the view that any interim order would lead to the substantial dislocation of the conduct of the examination which we are disinclined to do. The High Court has already clarified that any selection made thereafter shall abide by the final outcome of the matter." 

"However we request the High Court to earnestly endeavor to take up the matter before the results are declared" 

Case Details : POGULA RAMBABU Versus THE STATE OF TELANGANA AND ORS. Diary No. 48483-2024

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