On Monday, October 21, the Supreme Court refused to halt the ongoing examination process for 563 Grade-I posts under the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC), stating that issuing a stay could lead to “chaos.” The decision came amid heated debates over the state’s quota policy, which some claim disadvantages certain groups.
The bench, led by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud along with Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, ruled against the stay minutes before the exam was scheduled to commence at 2 PM. “The candidates have already reached the examination centers,” the bench noted, highlighting the impracticality and potential disruption of granting a stay at such a late stage.
The plea for the stay was brought forth by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing petitioner Pogula Rambabu, who argued that the current reservation policy under a specific government order (GO) unfairly affects candidates from Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and other backward classes. Sibal emphasized the significance of the issue, as the examination was being conducted for the first time since Telangana’s formation, and for the first time since 2011.
Despite the plea, the Supreme Court observed that the Telangana High Court is already addressing the issue concerning the quota policy and directed it to ensure the matter is resolved before the announcement of the exam results.
The TGPSC mains examination, which began on the day of the ruling, is set to continue until October 27. It aims to fill positions across various government departments with a total of 31,383 candidates qualified to participate in this round.
