Barring a few instances of protests and boycott, the Group-II examinations conducted by the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission went off peacefully across the state on Saturday.
According to APPSC Secretary Poonam Malakondaiah, almost 71.14% of nearly 4.54 lakh candidates appeared for the examinations across the state, for 873 posts.
While the percentage turnout in Andhra regions was 71.94, in Rayalaseema it was 74.09.
In strike-hit Telangana, only 69.65% of candidates appeared for the exams.
However, despite the
rail roko and RTC strike, the percentage of candidates' participation was 5.43% higher compared to that in the Group-II examinations held last time in 2008, she said.
In Hyderabad, only 1/3rd of the candidates appeared for the examination. A mere 36.18% of 47,100 candidates appeared for the exams at 73 centres in Hyderabad district limits.
Many candidates had trouble reaching their examination centres due to the Sakala Janula Samme, the general strike which entered its 33rd day on Saturday.
The special services operated by the RTC from different locations to the examination centres, under tight police security, seems to have failed to motivate candidates to write the exams.
The police had made elaborate arrangements at all 1,064 centres across the state. Unprecedented security arrangements were made at 402 centres located in the strike-hit Telangana region.
However, ignoring the warning that candidates would be barred from writing exams in future if they try to disrupt the exams, a few candidates boycotted the exams in Nalgonda and Warangal districts.
At Alpha College and Pragathi College, some students came out of the examination halls after taking their OMR sheets, raising "Jai Telangana" slogans, and tore their OMR sheets and their hall tickets.
Similarly, at Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan of Warangal district, some students boycotted the exam and came out of the examination hall shouting slogans. Police had to resort to lathicharge to control students who were tearing up OMR sheets and hall tickets.
For the first time, the candidates were allowed to take home a copy of the answer sheet. They were given 2 OMR answer sheets, and after the exam, one copy was submitted to the examiner while the other was taken by the students.
The APPSC officials are hoping that the Group-II examination on Sunday, too, will be conducted peacefully across the state, including in Telangana. (INN)