Opposition slams DMK as TNPSC exam cancellation sparks political row

Chennai: The statewide cancellation of the TNPSC Group II and II A main examinations on Sunday triggered a massive political firestorm, with opposition leaders, including Edapaddi K Palaniswami and TVK founder Vijay, accusing the DMK government of "administrative incompetence".

The TNPSC, which cited technical software glitches for the center-allocation chaos, has promised a re-examination with a 15-day prior notice.

Controller of Examinations, TNPSC, A Shanmugasundaram, told reporters that the confusion and chaos were due to the wrong assignment of exam halls at several Chennai centres, including two prominent city colleges.

"This is a huge mistake, and we regret the inconvenience. To ensure candidates do not suffer due to the panic caused, we have cancelled today's sessions statewide," Shanmugasundaram told reporters here.

While Palaniswami called the postponement "unprecedented" in the history of the state's public service commission, Vijay labeled the DMK a "hollow advertisement model" that has shattered the dreams and hard work of thousands of youth.

The examinations, which were scheduled to take place across Tamil Nadu on Sunday, were deferred in the last minute due to irregularities in hall tickets and confusion in the allocation of examination centres.

In a statement, AIADMK general secretary Palaniswami said the postponement on the day of the exam exposes the "administrative collapse" under the current regime.

"For the first time, a highly significant examination like TNPSC (Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission) Group II has been postponed on the very day it was to be held. This single incident reveals the true state of governance under the DMK regime," the AIADMK leader said in a statement.

Palaniswami highlighted the distress caused to aspirants, citing reports that some candidates had already begun writing the exam before being informed of the postponement. He criticised the government for attributing the lapse to a "technical fault," stating that it trivialises the years of preparation and sacrifice made by lakhs of young aspirants.

Directly addressing Chief Minister M K Stalin, the former chief minister questioned the government's claims of transforming Tamil Nadu into a "superstar" state.

"Your government cannot even conduct a single competitive examination properly. What greater proof is needed for this administration's incompetence?" he asked.

Palaniswami further alleged that the DMK has failed to fulfil its 2021 election promise of providing 5.5 lakh jobs. He urged the state government to move beyond "eyewash action" against lower-level officials and instead implement systematic safeguards to prevent such blunders in the future.

Reaffirming his party's commitment to the youth, he appealed to the candidates to remain steadfast, promising that an AIADMK government in 2026 would protect their aspirations.

Taking to 'X', actor-politician Vijay questioned if the move was a cover-up for deeper irregularities.

"One wonders what major scam is being hidden behind this," added the TVK chief, adding that the "youth will teach a democratic lesson" in the upcoming polls.

Pattali Makkah Katchi (PMK) leader Dr Anbumani Ramadoss condemned the "shameful failure," stating that the government failed to make even basic arrangements for the high-stakes exam.

He highlighted in his X post the major hall ticket mix-up between Nandanam and Arumbakkam colleges, noting that despite having senior IAS officials and commission members, the TNPSC administration has "decayed."

"The DMK government is incapable of even conducting a competitive exam smoothly," Dr Anbumani alleged, demanding a probe into top officials.

In a strongly worded statement, PMK founder Dr S Ramadoss said nearly 500 candidates were forced to stage road blockades after discovering that their registration numbers were missing from the allotted centers, eventually leading to the postponement of the mains examination.

"There seems to be no limit to the blunders committed by the TNPSC. The negligence shown by the Commission is becoming harder to comprehend than the competitive exams themselves," Ramadoss said.

Meanwhile, Shanmugasundaram said that fresh exam dates would be announced later, with new hall tickets issued 15 days in advance. The exams scheduled for February 22 remain unchanged, he added.