Recently, Hyderabad witnessed dangerous street activity as a group of youngsters performed reckless car stunts, ramming through roads in Telangana’s capital. The reckless driving created panic among locals, leading to traffic disruptions. Authorities are investigating the incident and have warned of strict actions against such behavior.
As unemployed youth in Telangana continue to protest, exploring the controversy surrounding GO 29 and GO 55.
Youngsters in Telangana rammed through the streets in Hyderabad on Saturday, 19 October. The agitation, orchestrated with BJP’s support, did not have any banners indicating it.
According to media reports, the only BJP leader to address the agitating youth is the Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay. The protesting youth, many of whom had cleared preliminary exams for the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC), were seeking justice in the recruitment process to fill thousands of jobs vacant across departments.
What pulled youngsters to streets?
GO 29, issued by the Revanth Reddy-led Telangana government, is one of the key reasons that prompted the agitation. However, the controversy races back to a previous GO 55 issued by the previous BRS government.
It had established rules for the number of candidates allowed to sit for the written (Main) exam. This regulation stated that about 50 candidates would be admitted for each vacancy, adhering to the established rules of reservation. ng the modifications to the Para B of the pattern of examination under the scheme of examination for Group I prescribed.
The GO read, “The number of candidates to be admitted to the written (Main) examination (Conventional type) would be fifty times to the total number of vacancies available in each Multi-Zone duly following the rule of reservations for Community, Gender, EWS, PH, and sports as laid down in General Rules 22 and 22 A of TS State and Subordinate Service Rules.”.
Surprisingly, in February this year, the Secretary of TGPSC cited a Supreme Court ruling in Civil Appeal of 2009, which led to the controversial amendments in GO 29.
Amending para 5 of Part B of the notification, it stated, “The number of candidates to be admitted to the written (Main) examination (Conventional type) would be fifty times to the total number of vacancies available in each Multi-Zone : Provided that, in case of any shortfall in respect of candidates in reserved categories as laid down in rules 22 & 22 A of the Telangana State and Subordinate Service Rules, 1996, action shall be taken to include such number of candidates from the merit list beyond 1:50 ratio, as required to meet the shortfall in the respective categories.”
What happened next?
About 3 lakh aspirants appeared for the Group 1 exam in July this year, with those who got selected for the mains appearing for exams from Monday, 21 to 27 October.
In this context, the unemployed youth who believed they were unjustly excluded took to streets claiming that they were met with injustice because of GO 29.
The essence of GO 29 is that if the recruitment under for reserved categories is falling short of Rule 22 and 22 A of Telangana State and Subordinate Service Rules 1996, it should be filled with candidates based on merit.
The problem is that these seats belong to reserved categories, thereby opening up more opportunities to the people under open category at the cost of reserved categories which causes heartburns from both sides.
Misreading that gave Opposition an opportunity
Why did the TGPSC acknowledge Supreme Court’s ruling only now? It is obvious that the said original notification for recruitment of Group A services was issued way back in 2022, when the top court’s ruling was already in force.
When a particular ruling of the Supreme Court was not an impediment to the earlier governments for the purpose of calculating reservations, why is the state government worried now?
Did the Congress government in Telangana not know? Or did it genuinely misread the SC’s ruling into the recruitment process? Not knowing the answer to it has been disturbing for the unemployed youth.
If GO 29 is strictly imposed, the number of people belonging to reserved categories will be less and those vacancies will likely be filled by people belonging to general category. This naturally raises questions about the Congress’ commitment to its support base.
This is the very sensitivity BJP wanted to utilise by creating suspicion among the unemployed youth about the commitment of Congress government, thereby making inroads into the Congress’ social base.
What Congress could have done?
GO 29 is not warranted at all despite the Supreme Court ruling. The essence of ruling is that the portion of reservation should not exceed beyond 50 percent of the total recruitments.
The SC in the same case that, “The reserved category candidates have two options. If they are meritorious enough to compete with the open category candidates, they are recruited in that category. Candidates below them would be considered for appointment in the reserved categories. This is now well settled principle of law as has been laid down by this Court in several decisions.”
Subsequently the appeal filed by then APPSC allowed setting aside division bench decision of the High Court, which went against the state government.
Given these facts, how can the Congress government disobey the Supreme Court’s decision in the same civil appeal which is considered as basis for issuing GO 29 is the million dollar question.
Did the TGPSC follow filtering standards as per GO 55 while selecting the aspirants for mains?
Had the TGPSC released detailed data on the category-wise number of candidates qualified for the mains, following the now-standard 1:50 principle, much of the confusion could have been avoided. This transparency might have prevented the BJP from capitalising on the situation to gain political leverage among anxious unemployed youth.
If GO 29 was issued after thoughtful consideration of political implications, it shows the Congress’ bias against unemployed youth from its social support base. If it is issued without applying much of mind and logic, the Revanth Reddy government should refrain from doing so in order to save its image and perception among the people. #hydkhabar
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