High Court Directs TGPSC to Follow Sport Policy in All Recruitments
Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao faulted the stand of TGPSC which contended that “more meritorious sportspersons” should be preferred for higher-scale posts.
Hyderabad:The Telangana High Court has directed the Telangana state government and the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TGPSC) to strictly adhere to the state’s sports policy while implementing a two per cent reservation for meritorious sportspersons in all government recruitments.
The court made it clear that authorities must follow the procedure prescribed under GO Ms No. 74 and GO Ms No.107 and the norms contained in Annexures I and II to ensure a fair, transparent, and inclusive selection process.
Justice Namavarapu Rajeshwar Rao faulted the stand of TGPSC which contended that “more meritorious sportspersons” should be preferred for higher-scale posts. The court held that such a view “vitiates the very purpose of reservation” and undermines the inclusive spirit of the sports quota.
The court directed the government and the TGPSC to strictly adhere to Annexures I and II respectively while filling up the two per cent sports quota in all future job notifications.
The authorities should also ask the candidates to produce forms (I to IV) in relation to their sports certificates to verify their genuineness and grading so as to ensure a fair and transparent selection process under the sports quota.
The High Court issued these directions while disposing of a batch of writ petitions filed by several sportspersons who challenged the restrictive interpretation and implementation of the sports quota in the recruitment of Group-I officers.
The petitioners contended that though the Government Order provides reservation for sportspersons at all levels of recruitment in all government departments, undertakings, and grant-in-aid institutions, the authorities had limited eligibility to only those who had represented India in international or multinational competitions.
According to the petitioners, they were all active sportspersons who had represented Telangana in senior nationals, junior nationals, and All-India University tournaments, and were thus entitled to consideration under the two per cent quota as envisaged in GO Ms No. 74.
They challenged the TGPSC` s web note dated July 22, 2024, which restricted eligibility in Group-1 to candidates holding Form-I certificates — issued only to those who represented India internationally — excluding many deserving candidates who had participated at national and inter-university levels.
Out of the 563 posts advertised for Group-I Services, four were reserved under the sports quota. However, the commission shortlisted only 36 candidates based on Form-I certificates for verification, and subsequently, through another web note dated August 20, 2024, permitted just one candidate to appear for the Group-I Mains Examination under the sports quota.
The petitioners alleged that this move was contrary to the intent of the Government Orders and the provisions of the recruitment notification, which contemplated that 200 candidates should be permitted to appear for the Mains under the sports quota.
After hearing the matter, the High Court observed that the authorities’ approach was inconsistent with the Government Orders and the spirit of the sports policy. It directed the respondents to declare the results of the petitioners whose results had been withheld pursuant to interim orders and to fill up the vacancies if they are found eligible under Annexures I and II. The court further ordered that vacancies kept vacant under earlier interim directions should now be filled in accordance with the prescribed norms.
The bench, however, clarified that appointments already made would not be disturbed.
