TNPSC to debar question setters for politically controversial or communally sensitive questions: Chairman

The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) will debar question setters of competitive examinations for including questions that are politically controversial or communally sensitive, said TNPSC Chairman S.K. Prabakar.

Speaking to the media at Egmore Presidency Girls Higher Secondary School ahead of the Group IV examinations on Saturday (July 12, 2025), Mr. Prabakar said: “The TNPSC had already instructed professors who are technical experts not to frame questions that are politically controversial or communally sensitive. However, some question setters have not followed these instructions. The Commission will remove them from the panel.”

Pointing to the rising number of vacancies, he said the number of candidates to be selected through the Group IV exam held on Saturday is expected to exceed 4,000, up from 3,935, as the number of vacancies across various departments between July and December 2025 is projected to be 4,318.

“The notification for Group II and IIA is expected next week. The total number of candidates recruited during the period from January 2024 to December 2024 is 10,701, while 11,027 candidates were recruited during the period from January 2025 to June 2025,” he said.

According to the Group IV notification issued on April 25, the TNPSC announced that 3,935 vacancies across 25 different posts would be filled. These include 215 posts of village administrative officers, 1,678 junior assistants, 1,100 typists, 368 steno-typists, 112 forest guards, 145 forest watchers, and 239 junior revenue inspectors. The educational qualification required for Group IV is SSLC.

As many as 13.89 lakh candidates, including 94,848 in Chennai, have received hall tickets for the Group IV examination. Women candidates outnumber men, as 8.63 lakh women candidates and 5.26 lakh men have been permitted to appear for the Group IV examination.

Stressing the need for simplified processes, including a simplified OMR in competitive examinations, Mr. Prabakar said errors in the TNPSC Group I examination have decreased this time, as the evaluation of answer sheets under the new simplified system is under way. The evaluation of Group I preliminary exam answer sheets is expected to begin next week, and the results will be declared within a month.

“The results of the Group IV examination are expected to be declared in three months. The question papers have been found to be safe, following reports of controversy at a Madurai centre ahead of the examination,” he said.

A few candidates who arrived late at the examination centre in Egmore on Saturday were denied permission to appear for the test. Several of them reportedly relied on the public transport system in Chennai.