The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) cancelled its Combined Civil Services Examination scheduled for the morning of Sunday, February 8. The decision was taken after a technical glitch caused confusion over examination centre allocation.
The examination was scheduled to begin at 9 am across the state. However, a technical error in centre allocation resulted in candidates meant to be assigned to three different centres in Chennai being directed to a single venue, DG Vaishnav College in Arumbakkam.
The Group 2 and Group 2A examinations comprise tests for various administrative posts across different levels of the state administration. Group 2 posts include Deputy Collector (DC), Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) (Category I), and Assistant Commissioner–Commercial Tax Officer. Group 2A examinations recruit for several posts, including assistants in government departments and audit assistants in accounts departments.
“Today, the TNPSC conducted the Group 2A Main examination. Around 47 centres were allotted for this exam. In Chennai, three centres were assigned, Presidency College, Nandanam Arts College, and DG Vaishnav College, Arumbakkam. Due to a technical glitch, all candidates were allotted DG Vaishnav College in their admit cards,” one of the applicants, Ananthakumar, told TNM.
“Around 600 to 800 candidates arrived at the centre, but only about 140 were actually admitted into the examination hall,” he added.
According to Ananthakumar, the confusion stemmed from a technical glitch on the TNPSC’s part, since the admit cards of all candidates mentioned DG Vaishnav College as the examination centre. He alleged that the commission had failed to properly cross-verify centre and seat allocations, a crucial step since examinations are conducted only after each candidate is assigned a specific desk with their photograph and register number displayed.
As a result, only candidates whose names and roll numbers were pasted on the notice board were allowed to enter the examination hall, while others were made to wait outside amid poor coordination at the initial stage. Ananthakumar added that in some centres across Tamil Nadu, question papers were issued and later withdrawn, while in other cases candidates may have been redirected to different centres.
Following the confusion, aspirants staged a protest, after which the state announced the cancellation of the examination.
“In the interest of the candidates, both examinations scheduled for today have been cancelled across Tamil Nadu, including Chennai, and will be conducted on a later date. Information regarding the re-examination date, centre allocations and hall tickets will be sent to all candidates via SMS and email at least 15 days prior to the exam date,” Controller of Examinations A Shanmugasundaram said in a notification.
Ananthakumar pointed out that candidates in several other parts of the state had already begun writing the examination, which would create further complications. “Since many candidates had already started the exam, the question papers will have to be set afresh. This will also cause further delays,” he said.
Leader of Opposition Edappadi K Palaniswami condemned the incident, calling on the government to take responsibility and address the issue.
“This single incident has clearly exposed the state of ‘governance’ under the DMK regime. This is the first time in Tamil Nadu’s history that a highly important examination like the TNPSC Group 2 has been postponed on the day of the exam. Moreover, there are shocking reports that in many places candidates wrote the examination without even knowing that it had been postponed,” he said.
“The DMK government, which is offering a one-line explanation of ‘technical fault’, should not forget that Group 2 is a crucial examination. The consequence of this ‘fault’ is that years of hard work and the hopes of young candidates have been shattered,” he added.