TNPSC postpones Group 2 and 2A mains statewide after technical glitch sparks protests
The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) on Sunday cancelled the Group 2 and Group 2A main examinations that were scheduled to be held today, on February 8, across the state, citing a technical glitch in the allocation of examination centres.
According to local media reports, more than 9,000 candidates who were scheduled to appear for the Group 2 and 2A mains examinations have been affected by the cancellation.
The disruption followed complaints of incorrect centre allocation, missing registration numbers, and overcrowding at several venues, particularly in Chennai. The decision was taken hours after confusion and protests were reported at multiple exam centres in Chennai, prompting the commission to first defer the exams in the city and later extend the postponement statewide.
The situation reportedly spiralled out of control at the Arumbakkam and Nandanam examination centres, where candidates claimed their registration numbers were either missing or wrongly mapped. At the Arumbakkam centre, several candidates were informed by officials that their registration details were instead available at the Nandanam centre and that they would have to travel there to write the exam.
Candidates protested, stating that shifting centres at the last minute would make it impossible to write the examination properly. The protests spilled onto the roads, affecting traffic movement and causing chaos in the area.
Following these developments, TNPSC initially announced that the Group 2 and 2A exams scheduled for Sunday would be postponed in Chennai alone.
However, as similar issues were reported elsewhere, the commission’s chairman later confirmed that the examinations would be postponed across Tamil Nadu. An alternate date, TNPSC said, would be announced soon.