Telangana High Court Suspends Group-2 Sports Quota
The single judge had faulted the stand of the TGPSC and the government that international sportspersons should be preferred for higher-scale posts against the claims of less meritorious sportspersons.
Hyderabad:A division bench of the Telangana High Court on Thursday suspended the single judge orders dated October 14, which had set aside the decision of the state government and the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC) making submission of ‘Form-1’ as a prerequisite for international sportspersons to claim reservation under the sports quota.
The single judge had faulted the stand of the TGPSC and the government that international sportspersons should be preferred for higher-scale posts against the claims of less meritorious sportspersons.
The single judge had also directed the government to adhere to the procedure prescribed under GO Ms No. 74 and GO Ms No.107 and the norms contained in Annexures I and II while implementing the two per cent reservation for sportspersons in Group-1 services and Group-11 services.
The single judge had also had issued directions to the TGPSC to declare the withheld results of the writ petitioners, who had approached the court seeking their appointments in four posts earmarked in the Group-1 notification of 2024 and to fill the vacancies accordingly, without disturbing appointments already made.
The division bench on Thursday dealt with the appeals filed following the single judge orders. The appellants contended that the single judge’s approach was inconsistent with GO Ms No. 107, which expressly mandated implementation of the guidelines contained in GO Ms No. 74, including submission of Form-1. They argued that the Form-1 certificate was not a mere verification document but the foundational eligibility instrument establishing international participation and grading for meritorious sportspersons. The TGPSC and the state supported this view, stating that without Form-1, a candidate could not claim reservation under the sports quota for Group-I or II services.
Finding that the controversy raised substantial questions requiring detailed adjudication, the division bench granted leave to appeal, allowed the leave applications, and directed that the batch of appeals be listed for admission on January 12 next. Meanwhile, the operation of the order of the single judge stood suspended.
