Hyderabad, Sept 24: The Telangana High Court on Tuesday paused a sweeping order that had unsettled thousands of Group-I aspirants. A division bench of Chief Justice Alok Kumar Sharma and Justice G. Manavendra Mohan gave temporary relief to the Public Service Commission (TSPSC) and the candidates who cleared the exam earlier this year.
Background
The controversy began when a single-judge bench earlier struck down the final marks list dated 10 March 2025 and the general ranking list released on 30 March. The judge had found “serious irregularities” in evaluation of the prestigious Group-I mains, the first such recruitment since Telangana was formed. Petitioners argued the Commission ignored its own rules and lacked transparency. The single judge had directed either a manual re-evaluation using a Supreme Court-approved “moderation method” or an entire re-test for those who cleared prelims.
Court’s Observations
During a packed hearing, Advocate General A. Sudarshan Reddy and senior counsel for the selected candidates said there was “not a whisper of question paper leak or mass copying,” stressing the Commission’s reputation as a constitutional body.
“The order casts an unwarranted stigma,” one lawyer remarked. On the other side, counsel for the petitioners stood firm that the evaluation was “procedurally unsound,” claiming answer sheets lacked proper backing of rules.
The bench noted the matter needed a full hearing and asked both sides to file written arguments by 10 October. “Any appointments will abide by our final decision,” the bench observed, signalling that the recruitment process is not entirely frozen but remains under watch.
Decision
For now, the High Court has suspended the key direction of the single-judge order, meaning neither a re-evaluation nor a fresh exam will proceed immediately. All related writ appeals-over a dozen in total-are posted for detailed hearing on 15 October. The court clarified that any appointments made in the interim “shall be subject to the outcome” of these appeals, leaving anxious candidates with a temporary but crucial breather.
Case: Telangana HC Stays Re-evaluation of TSPSC Group-I Results
Case Numbers: W.A. Nos. 1066–1080 & 1054 of 2025 (batch)
Date of Order: 24 September 2025