TSPSC Paper Leak: KTR asserts it’s an act of two offenders, not system failure

HYDERABAD: Telangana Minister KT Rama Rao declared on Saturday that four cancelled Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) exams will be re-conducted with no additional fees for candidates.

Minister KTR said at a press conference at BRK Bhavan on Saturday regarding the TSPSC paper leak controversy, "TSPSC will not only conduct the re-examination without charging any additional costs, but will also provide free online coaching materials to the candidates"

"The study centre will have a reading room open 24 hours a day, as well as free food and accommodation for the candidates. The re-examination dates will be announced soon", he added.

The minister said, "Offence committed by two persons impacted the process of recruitment. It is not a systemic flaw or failure. The system is very much strong. Many individuals are suffering as a result of two people's mistakes. Whoever is behind Praveen and Rajasekhar will be strictly punished and we will also take measures to avoid such incidents in future". He said that it was the responsibility of the government to ensure that such actions were not repeated.

"Two staff of TSPSC have committed the offence. Don't blame the entire institution for the paper leak. I have asked Telangana DGP Anjani Kumar to conduct a thorough probe to determine if there's a conspiracy ", he added.

On discussing TSPSC reforms, KTR said, "TSPSC has made significant reforms over the last eight years. TSPSC issued 155 notifications and successfully completed 99 examinations but no such allegations were ever made against TSPSC. TSPSC is considered as an efficient institution throughout the country due to the commission's reforms. He said that TSPSC has a reputation for simultaneously conducting tests in seven languages and filling 37,000 vacancies in the state. The UPSC Chairman paid two visits and studied reforms here."

While complaints used to come against Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) in the undivided state, no allegations were brought against TSPSC thus far, according to KTR. He added that it had been successful so far and attributed the same T o a combination of strategies.

He said, "We submitted a report to Chief Minister KCR on the paper leakage. We conducted a review on the orders of the Chief Minister K Chandrshekhar Rao. The Chief Minister said that the truth should be told to the people".

"I urge unemployed youth not to be concerned and to disregard offensive statements since the system is strong.

One of the accused Rajasekhar, a network expert is an active member in BJP. Rajasekhar gained unauthorized access to confidential question papers using the login credentials of other employees", KTR said while displaying Rajashekhar's photographs.

"We have appealed to the DGP to investigate the conspiracy angle as one of the accused is a BJP activist, as well as Bandi Sanjay's statements alleging that the government was trying to keep youth busy by issuing recruitment notifications, " the minister said.

He recalled the slogan of Telangana agitation — “funds, water, and jobs” — and said that TSPSC was at the core of one of the three main demands of the state. The TSPSC emabraked on filling 2.30 lakh jobs, he observed.

Referring to the Opposition demand that the IT minister should resign, KTR sought to know as to how the IT minister was concerned with the leakage. “What has IT got to do with this. Do they have any idea as to what’s the call of duty of an IT minister? Am I responsible for every computer in the State?” he asked.

He also went on to ask that whether any minister was dismissed when 13 times, recruitment-related question papers were leaked in Gujarat in the last nine years. “When allegations were levelled directly at the Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh in Vyapam case, did he resign?” asked KTR