Decks Cleared for Group I Recruitment, Single Judge Order for Re-Evaluation Suspended

Hyderabad: In a major relief for the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) and hundreds of candidates who already cleared the Group I mains, the Telangana High Court on Wednesday suspended the single judge order directing the commission to re-evaluate the answer sheets.

A Division Bench led by Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice G.M. Mohiuddin also turned down the plea of the counsel representing the candidates who failed to clear the recruitment test to maintain status quo till the case is disposed of.

This order will facilitate the TGSPC to proceed with the recruitment process including the appointment of successful candidates to the posts. The court, however, said “any appointments made in the meantime shall be subject to the outcome of the writ appeals.”

The Bench expressed doubts over the single judge’s order which it said involved intricate legal questions. How can the writ court (single judge) enter into the shoes of the examiner and substitute its own opinion on the correctness of the commission’s actions, it said.

The Bench was uncertain over the single Judge`s remarks about the integrity of the TGPSC on conducting of the examinations, evaluation, issuing of hall tickets for prelims and mains. However, the Bench also said that it has to examine whether TGPSC consistently followed the procedure in conducting the examinations or if there were any variations.

The HC observed that it has to take up in-depth hearing to arrive at the conclusion over the findings of the single judge. The Bench wondered “where did the integrity (of the commission) suffer when there is no specific mention or demonstration of serious violations or malpractices or bias to favor some of the students by allotting them in few examination centers.”

Further, the Bench observed that inferences can be drawn by many ways based on many things, but there should be some demonstration to prove that there was bias or raising doubts on integrity.

The Bench also said that it was of the view that that the selection of examination centres is the domain of TGPSC and the courts cannot interfere in the said process unless it was proved that rules were violated and selection was done in a non- transparent manner

The court also questioned the unsuccessful students as to how they were adversely affected by the TGPSC’s procedures. “Was there a mass copying or any favour done to a few students,” the court asked.

Referring to allegations that students who appeared in a particular centre got higher marks, the Bench sought to know the basis for such allegations.

The single judge’s judgment dated September 9, 2025, had not only quashed the final marks list released on March 10 and the general ranking list issued on March 30 but also directed the Commission to re-evaluate all mains answer scripts using the “moderation method” outlined in. If such re-evaluation was not feasible, the Commission was instructed to cancel the mains examination and re-conduct it within eight months for all candidates who had cleared the prelims.

Advocate-General A. Sudershan Reddy and senior counsel S. Niranjan Reddy representing TGPSC submitted that the single judge erred in finding fault with the recruitment process.

They asserted that there was no allegation or proof of mass malpractice such as question paper leaks or large-scale copying. The Commission, they said, had strictly followed rules and procedures, and this being the first Group-I recruitment exercise since the formation of Telangana, any adverse findings would unfairly malign the credibility of the Constitutional institution.

- The division bench’s order will allow the TGSPC to go-ahead with the Group-1 officers’ recruitment process.

- It said appointments will be subject to the outcome of the final judgment.

- It wondered how the court could enter into the shoes of the examiner.

- It said the courts cannot interfere in the process unless it was proved that rules were violated

- It sought to know if there was mass copying or any favour done to a few students.