Following widespread protests by Group-I candidates who complained of 'grave errors' in the preliminary exam question papers, the AP Public Service Commission on Sunday decided to postpone the Mains exams, which were scheduled to begin from Monday, September 3.
The exams will now be held from September 16 to 26.
In an emergency meeting on Sunday, an additional 1,201 students were declared qualified in the Prelims, making them eligible to appear for the Mains. The APPSC had earlier shortlisted 16,426 candidates for the Mains to fill 314 G-1 posts.
The meeting also decided to postpone the exams and prepare a revised merit list of the Prelims exam by awarding marks in lieu of the errors.
APPSC chairman Rachel Chatterjee, secretary Poonam Malakondaiah and members of the commission were present in the meeting.
The APPSC, however, has not revealed the number of erroneous questions and the marks it has awarded in lieu of these errors. It has also not disclosed the number of total candidates who were declared as qualified for Mains since there was a possibility of change in the earlier cut-off marks, and the number of candidates who were declared as qualified as per the old cut-off marks.
The commission had released the “prelims key” only after the AP Administrative Tribunal, on an appeal by some candidates, had directed the APPSC to post the key on its website.
Had the candidates not insisted on the key, it would have cost the 1,201 candidates, who have now been declared as qualified, dear.