Hyderabad, September 26: Barring a few incidents of violence, the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission (APPSC) on Sunday conducted the Group I Mains examination peacefully across the state on Sunday under tight security.
Despite the objections raised by the pro-Telangana groups and total shutdown due to on-going general strike, the examination went off peacefully at centres in both Hyderabad and Warangal districts. However, some advocates tried to stall the examination at the LB Centre in Hyderabad which was foiled by the police.
The bus, rail and auto-rickshaw strike failed to prevent the Group-I aspirants from reaching the examination centres in both Hyderbad and Warangal centres. While 69.45 per cent candidates appeared at Hyderabad centres, the percentage was 69.60 in Warangal. In Vijayawada almost 70 per cent candidates appeared for the exam while the percentage was 68.4 in Tirupati and 69 in Visakhapatnam, according to an official of APPSC.
Altogether of 10,500 aspirants, nearly 69 per cent took the exams on Sunday. The APPSC had issued Group I notification in 2008 and another supplementary notification in 2009. The preliminary examinations were held in 2010.
In Hyderabad, the RTC has operated 326 special bus services to the exam centres from various places with the help of police escort. Elaborate security arrangements were made at all the centres in the Telangana region. Except
The Telangana lawyers attempted to disrupt the examination at Mahatma Gandhi College in LB Nagar. However, the police foiled their plans and took all into their custody.
In the LB Nagar limits, the APPSC conducted examination at three colleges. Out of 1800 aspirants, only 900 candidates attempted their examination.
Meanwhile, the Telangana Lawyers Joint Action Committee moved house motion in the High Court appealing to defer the Group I examination. The High Court is likely to take up the matter on Monday. In the motion, they appealed to court to conduct the examination for those who qualified in the preliminary examination with cut off mark.
Meanwhile the police took into custody 15 members Kakatiya University Joint Action Committee members as a precautionary measure.
——-Agencies