Telangana Govt Removes Interviews for Group 1 Job Aspirants

Hyderabad: The state of Telangana has decided to discontinue interviews for Group-1 service positions. "Government, after careful examination of the matter in consultation with the Telangana State Public Service Commission, to ensure a more transparent and bias-free selection process and complete trust of the competing candidates in the selection process, hereby orders to abolish interviews for all the Telangana State Public Service Commission examinations under all categories, including Group-1 services, for all the recruitments notified on or after the issue of these orders," the order said.

Interviews for all recruitments notified on or after the release of these orders by the different government recruitment agencies, including the Departmental Selection Committees, shall be cancelled, according to the directive (constituted for selection into various departments). Previously, the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) conducted interviews with candidates who had passed their written exams with top marks. The final merit list was based on the candidates' performances in both tests and interviews.

Also Read: Narayanpet Collector Hari Chandana Offers Tips for Aspirants

"Scrapping interviews increases transparency," said Chandra Sekhar Reddy, a Hyderabad-based DYSP candidate.

"Interviews are always arbitrary. It depends on the panel and the day. Approximately 1,200 students will be called for an interview. There are chances that some students may have contacts with higher echelons in the government and they could push for the awarding of more marks. It removes all kinds of nepotism and favoritism," he said.

According to Chandra Sekhar, the government made a wonderful move that relieved a lot of tension. He claims that taking a written exam boosts motivation.

Another Dilkushnagar aspirant, Sham Sundar Reddy, expressed his delight at the government's decision.

"The Group-1 notification is coming after 11 years. The cancellation of interviews is going to reduce the duration of the recruitment process by at least 4 to 5 months. Also, there is more transparency. People cannot now influence interviewers. Candidates with the required knowledge will ultimately get selected," he said.

Sham, along with other Group-1 applicants, petitioned the government to provide all uniform postings in Group-1 services with at least a three-year age relaxation. In the aftermath of large-scale job placements in the state, the Chief Minister's Office announced on April 12 that the cabinet had agreed to lower the age restriction eligibility for candidates for police recruitment by three years.

"Is this age relaxation applicable to all police posts like DySP, Forest SP, Excise SP, etc, or only for the Sub Inspector and Constable posts? The government needs to clarify this," added Sham.

On March 9, Chief Minister KCR announced group-1 recruitment for the first time in 11 years. This was the first time since Telangana was formed. He stated that there will be 503 recruitments in Group-1 services this year.