The Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission’s (TNPSC) attempt to clarify the abrupt cancellation of the Group II and IIA examinations has triggered fresh controversy, after its official statement was found to contain multiple spelling, grammatical, and drafting errors.
The error-filled notice was issued hours after widespread confusion and logistical failures forced the Commission to call off the highly competitive examination, leaving thousands of aspirants stranded.
Chaos at Exam Centres
Candidates from districts across the state had travelled overnight to appear for the highly competitive examination, many balancing employment, family responsibilities, and years of preparation.
However, several centres in Chennai witnessed overcrowding, mismatched hall allocations, and administrative confusion at entry points. Candidates reported long delays, uncertainty over seating, and a lack of clear instructions from officials.
The situation escalated when authorities announced that the examination would be cancelled.
The Group II and IIA recruitment drive covers assistant and revenue inspector posts, with over 9,000 candidates competing for around 1,000 vacancies.
‘Technical Glitch’ Cited
TNPSC attributed the cancellation to a “technical glitch” in centre allocation.
According to preliminary details, around 600 candidates were incorrectly assigned examination centres due to a software error. In at least one instance, close to 1,000 candidates reportedly arrived at a college facility equipped to handle only about 300 examinees.
The afternoon Tamil eligibility test scheduled the same day was also postponed. No immediate clarity was provided on revised examination dates.
The latest disruption has revived scrutiny over TNPSC’s recent track record.
Past controversies include:
- In 2024, TNPSC cancelled the Assistant Public Prosecutor exam originally scheduled for this year and rescheduled it to February 2025 following disruptions and technical issues.
- The TNPSC Group 2 and 2A mains exam on February 25, 2023, descended into chaos across multiple districts due to incorrect distribution of question papers and OMR sheets, delays, misinformation by invigilators, and alleged compromise of exam integrity, leaving candidates outraged and uncertain about their future.
- In 2023, TNPSC’s Group 4 exam results sparked controversy after reports claimed a disproportionate number of successful candidates came from a few coaching centres.
Error-Filled Official Notice
Amid the fallout, TNPSC issued an official Tamil-language statement explaining the cancellation and rescheduling process. However, the document itself quickly came under scrutiny after candidates and language experts pointed out multiple linguistic and drafting errors in what was expected to be a formal government communication.
— TNPSC (@TNPSC_Office) February 8, 2026
One of the most visible mistakes in the notice was the spelling of the word “Corona.” The statement used the form “கொரானா” (Corana), which is orthographically incorrect. The standard Tamil transliteration — used in government records since the pandemic — is “கொரோனா.” The vowel marker “ஓ” was omitted, resulting in a basic spelling error in an official communication.
The notice also used the incorrect verb construction “நடைபெறிந்த” while referring to examinations. This form is grammatically invalid in Tamil. Depending on context, it should correctly appear as “நடைபெற்ற” (if completed) or “நடைபெற இருந்த” (if scheduled but not held). The usage in the statement reflected improper verb morphology.
Another error was the use of “நடைபெறுந்த.” This again is not a valid tense or conjugated form in formal Tamil. Correct administrative usage would require forms such as “நடைபெறும்,” “நடைபெற்ற,” or “நடைபெற உள்ள,” depending on whether the exam is future, past, or rescheduled.
In the section describing the written examination, the notice used the compound form “எழுத்துத்தேர்வுகள்.” While readable, this construction ignores standard sandhi separation followed in government drafting. The correct formal rendering is “எழுத்துத் தேர்வுகள்,” with the sandhi marker “த்” separating the compound.
The same examination was described using varying terminology within the notice including references to “ஒருங்கிணைந்த குழுமப் பணிகள் தேர்வு” and “தொகுதி-II மற்றும் IIA பணிகள்.” While both refer to the same Group II–IIA recruitment, the lack of uniform terminology within a single official clarification was flagged as a drafting inconsistency.
தமிழ்நாடு அரசு தேர்வாணையம் வெளியிட்ட அறிக்கைலயே இவ்ளோ எழுத்துப்பிழையா😲
அரசு ஊழியர்கள் 60% தெலுங்கர்களா இருந்தா இந்த லட்சணம்தான்🤦
என் வாழ்நாள்ல இப்படி ஒரு மோசமான அரசு நிர்வாகத்த நான் பார்த்ததே இல்ல💦 pic.twitter.com/stpZyEjkGe
— 🐯மணிவண்ணன்🐯 (@098765mani) February 8, 2026
The presence of multiple linguistic errors, ranging from basic spelling mistakes to incorrect verb forms and compound constructions, in a formal post-cancellation clarification drew criticism from candidates and academic observers. Many questioned how an institution responsible for conducting competitive civil service examinations had issued an error-laden notice at a time when aspirants were already grappling with the fallout of the examination cancellation.
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