'Politics hits students’ future', say rank holders’ parents
“What will happen to our children’s future? Are you playing with their lives? We are ordinary people with small jobs. We don’t have the money to buy jobs by spending crores. They are spreading false rumors about us. Is this the right way?” - these were the concerns expressed by the parents of Group 1 students.
It is known that the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGSPSC) recently had the Group 1 Mains exam results canceled by the High Court. Some media outlets have been reporting irregularities in the Group 1 exams. Amid this, the parents of the Group 1 rank holders spoke to the media, shedding tears and asking that politics not be played with their children’s future.
Parents’ concerns
At the press meet, parents shared their experiences. The mother of the 366th rank holder said, “After my husband passed away, I am working in a school for a Rs 10,000 salary. Do I have the ability to buy a job for Rs 3 crore? If someone can prove that, I will write my own death sentence.” She broke down in tears.
The mother of the 67th rank holder, Lalitha, said, “We worked day and night to educate our children. We haven’t even seen Rs 30 lakh, let alone Rs 3 crore.”
The father of the 46th rank holder said, “After the results came out, politics was being played. Don’t cause mental stress by blaming us.”
The father of the 60th rank holder, Mahesh, questioned, “Who sold the job? Who bought it? Show the evidence.”
Children worked hard
Parents said their children studied very hard, sometimes going hungry or taking loans, just to secure good ranks. They said these allegations are destroying their children’s future. They expressed willingness for any investigation and asked all parties to cooperate to reveal the truth. This shows both the mental pressure on the rank holders and the social and family sacrifices involved.
What did the High Court say?
On September 9, the High Court gave a sensational verdict on the Group 1 exams. It canceled the Group 1 Mains results, saying that irregularities occurred during the marking of the exams held from October 21-27, 2024, and public trust was violated. The court directed TGSPSC to either manually re-evaluate the papers within eight weeks or conduct the exam again. This verdict was based on 12 petitions. The court also noted a lack of transparency in TGSPSC procedures.
Rank holders criticized the verdict, saying it has created confusion about their future. Other aspirants welcomed it. TGSPSC’s failure was described as a “slap in the face.”
Government appeal
TGSPSC decided to appeal the verdict in the Division Bench. This led to criticism from BRS and BJP. Candidates asked for postponement of the exams until court cases are resolved. Allegations were also made that the government responded with heavy-handed tactics.
BRS MLC Dasoju Shravan Kumar wrote an open letter to CM Revanth Reddy, asking for a judicial inquiry into TGSPSC failures. This controversy has become political, with BRS, BJP, and Congress criticizing the government. BJP leader Bandi Sanjay met candidates, saying both BRS and Congress have deceived youth.
Parents said, “Some leaders are making false accusations” and condemned politicizing the matter. While this may target youth votes during elections, it harms the integrity of the exam.
The controversy questions TGSPSC’s credibility. Thousands of youth work hard for jobs, but paper leaks and irregularities hurt their trust. Candidates are demanding UPSC-like safeguards (biometrics, randomized centers). It also raises issues of social justice (G.O. 55 re-evaluation). When this problem will be resolved remains to be seen.