The Telangana High Court on Monday conducted a detailed hearing on a series of appeals that challenge a single judge's order to suspend the results for 563 Group I posts. The controversial order, passed on October 9, had put a halt to the final merit list declared by the Telangana Public Service Commission (TGPSC).
Key Arguments from the TGPSC and Qualified Candidates
The appeals were filed jointly by the TGPSC itself and by candidates who had successfully qualified in the Group I mains examination and found their names on the final merit list. Representing the commission, Advocate General A Sudarshan Reddy presented a robust defense of the entire selection process.
Advocate General Reddy argued that every stage of the examination—from the conduct of the test and allocation of centres to the evaluation of answer scripts and subsequent scrutiny—was carried out with transparency and fairness. He emphasized that the process was designed to ensure a level-playing field for all aspirants.
Addressing the Hall Ticket Controversy
A central point of contention was the issuance of two separate hall tickets—one for the preliminary exam and another for the mains. The single judge had identified this as a key lapse. The Advocate General countered this by drawing a parallel to the High Court's own procedure for the junior civil judge entrance examination, where two hall tickets are also issued.
He further contended that despite the commission communicating about the second hall ticket two months before its actual issue date, the petitioners—unsuccessful candidates—failed to specify what actual prejudice was caused to them. Reddy also noted that the hall ticket for the mains examination contained details of the prelims hall ticket, maintaining a link between the two stages.
Flawed Approach of the Single Judge, Argue Counsels
Counsel D Prakash Reddy, representing some of the qualified candidates, challenged the very foundation of the single judge's order. He asserted that the judge's approach was fundamentally flawed, leading to erroneous conclusions.
"If a wrong question is asked, the answer will also be wrong," he argued, suggesting that the initial considerations of the case were incorrect.
Matter Posted for Further Hearing
After carefully recording all submissions, a division bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin decided to adjourn the proceedings. The high-profile case has been posted for further hearing on Tuesday, keeping thousands of aspirants in suspense over the fate of the recruitment for these 563 prestigious government posts.
