TGPSC Group-I exam case: Telangana HC reserves judgment; to pronounce verdict on Jan 22

Hyderabad: The High Court on Tuesday reserved its judgment in a batch of writ appeals relating to the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TGPSC) Group-I examination.

A division bench of Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice Ghouse Meera Mohiuddin said the verdict will be pronounced on January 22, 2026.

Challenge to single judge’s ruling

The appeals arise from a September 9, 2025, order passed by a single-judge bench, which had annulled the final marks list dated March 10, 2025, and the General Ranking List dated March 30, 2025, issued by the Telangana State Public Service Commission.

The ruling came while hearing petitions filed by unsuccessful Group-I aspirants questioning the ranking process.

Order for manual re-evaluation

In the impugned order, the single judge directed TGPSC to manually re-evaluate all Group-I main examination answer scripts by applying the moderation method, in accordance with the judgment in Sanjay Singh and another vs State of Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission.

The Commission was further directed to publish fresh results and fill 563 notified posts based on the revised merit list.

Appeals by TGPSC and Selected Candidates

Aggrieved by the direction for re-evaluation, TGPSC, along with the successful candidates, filed writ appeals before the division bench, seeking to set aside the Single Judge’s order and to uphold the selection already made.

Interim stay and appointments

On September 24, 2025, the division bench stayed the operation of the Single Judge’s directions and allowed TGPSC to issue appointment orders to the selected candidates. The appointments, however, were made subject to the outcome of the writ appeals.

Supreme Court’s intervention

Challenging the interim stay, unsuccessful candidates approached the Supreme Court of India. The apex court declined to interfere at the interim stage and remitted the matter back to the Telangana High Court, requesting early disposal of the appeals.

Extensive hearing by division bench

Over the last ten days, the division bench heard detailed arguments from both sides. Senior counsel appearing for the unsuccessful candidates sought cancellation of the entire Group-I selection process, while senior counsel and the Advocate General, appearing for TGPSC, defended the evaluation methodology and the selection procedure.

Verdict awaited

After the completion of arguments, the division bench reserved its judgment. The outcome of the long-running legal battle over the TGPSC Group-I examination is expected to be known on January 22, 2026.