The High Court · 2025

3. The Regiskar (Recruitment), High Court for thc State of Telangana, Hyderabad. ...RESPONDENTS Petition under Arlicle 226 of the Constitution of lr c a praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed therewith, lh€ High Court may be pleased to issue an order or direction more particularly one r the nature of Writ of IVANDAMUS to declare the action of the respondentr n not allowing the petitioners to the selection process by receiving applic I ons pursuant to the Notification 4512025-RC dated 01 12.2025 for Dirr:r t Recruitment and Recruitment by Transf er to the post of Civil Judge (. L rior Division) in the Telangana State Judicial Service on the ground that p(.t lioners not having 3 years practice as on the date of notification is illegal arbitral and unconstitutional and in violation of principles of natural justice and also in v ( lation of fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of lndia, with a cons t quential directions to the respondents to consider the claim of the petitioners allc them to participate ^/ in selection process by taking into consideration of last I tte of submission of application i.e., 29.12.2025 instead of date of notification O' . 2.2025 duly relaxing the amended rule to the extent of Rule 5 sub-rule (1,. l) (A) (l) issued in G.O.Ms.No.93 General Administration Department dated 06. 1.2025. lA NO: 1 OF 2025 Petition under Section 151 CPC praying that in the c r umstances stated in the affidavit filed in support of the petition, the High Cou- may be pleased to direct the 3rd respondent to consider the claim of the pet t lners allow them to participate in selection process by receiving the applicali ns duly taking into consideration of last date of submission of application i.e.,29.12.2025 instead of date of issuing notification 01.12.2025 by disposing of the representation submitted by the petitioners dated 08.12.2025 forthwith in the interest of justice. Counsel for the Petitioners: SRI NAYAKAWADI RAMESH Counsel for the Respondent No.1 & 2: Ms. M. SHALINI, GP FOR SERVICES - ll Counsel for the Respondent No.3: SRI VIVEK JAIN, S.C. FOR HIGH COURT The Court made the following: ORDER ^ lN'I'lIli I{IGll COUITT FOll.'l'lIE S'l)\'l'Ii Olr'l lil-.Atr\GA). {l'YDF]llABAl) TIlI,l HONOUR.\BLE SRI .IUSTI(rll P.SAI\I ( :)S[IY ANI) TIIL IIONOURABLE SRI .IUSTI('li SUDI),\LA (lll.\l APAI'IIl IIAO \1 . P.No.-ltt7(r5 of 2t|25 I)ate:17.12.2025 Bctrvccn: VL.\nithrr ilud ot llcrs r\ Itd l)ctit ioncrs fhc State ol Tclrtnsana rcp.by its Plincipll Sccrelirr), l-a\\, Deparlurcnt, Ilyderabad and others. . . . Rcspondents ORI)liR' lltar lkn'ttlt' ,\ri Ju;ticc l) Stn Ko.:lt.t,) Hcald I\lr Nayakawadi ltamesh, lcalncd counsc] I u thc pctitionersl I\4s.M.Stralini. leamed Govetnruent []leader lbr ScrrieL: II, appcaring tirr rcspondcnt No. I and Mr'.Vivck Jain, lclrnccl Standing ('t,L r rcl ltrr Iligh Court lrppearing lbr rcspondcnt Nos.2 and 3 antl pcruscd,lr" rggtrr(1 l. 't'he prcsent is the Writ Petitrou rvhich has lrecr 'ilod assarlrng thc notillcation datcd 01.12.2025 1or direcl rccruiturcnt to (h!'lost olCivil Judge (.lunior Division) rn thc Telangana Statc Judicial Servicc. ,\l tl.rc petitior.rers arc the practicing Arjr,ocates in the State o1 -felangana. In tcnr; .rl'the notiflcatron. thcro is one of thc cligibility critoria lbr participating in thc r,', 'Lritnrcnt prrrccss is the caruliclatc must havc bcen practicing as an Advocate lil r pcliotl of not less than three yoars as on the datc of notrfication i.c.01.12.1(tl.' 'l'he last date fbr submissron of application as por the nolillcation is 29.12.2t)1.; I-hc pctitioncls in thr: r,n,r'it pctition takc a categorical stand that by thc last rlltr .rf'applying as per \.... 2 tlrc rrotification i.e.29.12.2025, all the petitionets would fultill the eligibility critcria ol having threc years ol'practioe. However. as on date, these petitioners atc gctting loavc out lor the r-casou that the clrgibility critcrra prr:scribcs thc date ol'notitlcation as tho cul-ofT clllc of actluiring the oligibitity criteria. It is pcftlncnt to lakc n()tc of the lact that thc recruitrnent Rulcs till 06. I t.2025 did not have thc aforesaid eligibility critcria. 'l hcletbre, law graduates are permittcd to parlicipate in the rccruitment procoss. .l he Ilon'blc Suprcurc Coufl In All India Judges Association r,. Union oI Indiar had passed thc specitic ordcrs that lbr rccruitmcnt to the post ol'civrl .ludgcs, thc nrittimunr threc years of practicc at the Bar should be made nrandatory. For rcady rcfbrencc, clause (vii) of the directions so issued in thc said jutlgruent alc reptoducctl ltereundct: "All the tligh Courts a d thc State Covcmnlcnts in the country slull arncnd the rclevant servicc rulcs to thc etlect that calrdidates desirous of appcarrrtg in the exalnination loi thc post ol Civil Judgc (.lunior Divisroll) tnust have practiced lor a rurrrnrum pc-riod of J ycars to bc eligible for thc said exarnination. To tLrlflll the said rcquirenrent, thc Rules shall rnandatc that the candidatc l)roduccs a ccrtill.alc 10 lha( eflcct duly ccrtified either by the Principal Judicial Olllcer of tlral Court or by an advocatc of that Court havrng a minirrurn standirlg ol [0 years duly endorsed by the Princrpal Jutlicial Ofticer of suclr a District or a Principal Jurlicial Olliccr at such a station. [nsofar as the candidates rvho are practicing betirre tlre Iligh Courts or this Coud. they shall be ccrtificd by a advocate \'ho ltas a nlinlnrum standrng of l0 years duly endorsed by an officcr designuted by that t{rgh Court or lhis Courl. We further direct that the expcrrcncc ol-thc candidates rrtrch thcy havc gained rvhile working as La*, Clerks u,ith any of the Judgcs or Judicial Officcrs irl the country should also bc considcred rvhile calculaling their lotal number of ycars of practicc. -l he Rulcs shall also mandalc thaf thc candidatcs rvho arc appointed to thc post of Civil Judge (Junior l)ivision) pursuant to thcu selection through the examination must cornpulsonly undergo at least I ycar of traintng before presiding rn a Court '

3. Pursuant to thc directions, thc High Court in the State of Telangana also amcnded the Tclangana State Judicial (Serwice and Cadre) Rules, 2023 incorporating three years of practicc at the Bar being made mandatory. All the 2025 SCC OnLine SC 1184 petitioncrs herein tincl thcmsclves not llaving reclursitc ,'l gibility critcria on account ol' sairl amendrncnt k) the llules and tho cut o t being the tlate ol' notrlication i.c. 0l 12.1025 Ibr tleterut irtatiotr ol the e ligi5 I t critclia. So l.ar as the cligibility is cortcerrtcd, it is by norv ucll settled that.lrr' ('crtrrtlttcnt tltat has ttr he takcrr into consicloration by the enrploycr has to be 't ictl) ir) accordancc s'ith Rulcs govelnnll thc tlcld- In thc lr)stattt case also, tht'r ' loes nLlt sccnl to bo any clispute so 1ar as thc rccruitmcnt rules bcing tbllorvetl ,' lhc rcspotttlents in thc coursc o I issuance of noti fication.

4. Arlulier aspect which uecds to be apprccrated r' tllat it is tlot thc cr)nt(jnti()rt ()f pctilioners that lhc notillcation is conttary t(r il r rLllcs or colltrary lo thc rlirections o1'the I{on'ble Supremc Court. -lhc only relttl rat learnecl counsel tirr- tlie pctitioners at lhis juncture sccks lor an appropr ll e tli|cctiotr to thc rcspondcnts to consider lelaxing thc rules or tho notilicati()rr ( lly lo the extcnt ol' nroditying the cut-otTdatc lronr thc datc olnotification i.c ( I t2.l()15 lo thc last ol' submitting application i.e.l9. 12.2015. So tat as thc ( ( L'rnlillatiort ol thc cligibility criteriu is concomed, this again, the lau' is rvell scttl, d that the pou'cr of' rclaxatiorr also vcsts only rvith the cmployer and that to I ttrtdcr exccptional circurrstanccs n()t:rs a ulatter of right. Anottrer aspect whicl vas ltlsogo againsl the pctitioners is the lact that having been issued thc notitlcirL rn atrd rccrr"ritmcnt process having alrcady becn commenced would it now be i:mrissiblc for thc respondents to rela\ the rules or relax the conditions stipulalc, in tlrc otifloation. 4 The Hon'blc Supremc Couft reccntly in tlie case ol'I'ej Prakash Pathak v Ra,jasthan tligh Court2 licld as under: " 14. Ill various.judicial pronourrceurcnls- the law go,,,cnling rccthiltt)cut to public sen,iccs has bccn colloqutally tetnred as "the ntles tlf thc ganrc' I'he ''qallc rs llre I)rocL'ss ol selcctlon itrld apl)ololurcnt. Courts have c(rnsislclltly lrorured upon ti[kcring \,ilh thc nrles of tlte garlle oncc llle rccluitnlcnl proccss co lnlcllces. Ihis hascrystallizcd lnto an o[t-quoted legal phrase that "lhc nrlcs of the gamc orust ltot bc changcd nttdway. or aticr the ganlc has bcen playcd'. Broadly spcaking thesc nrlcs fall tn t\\'o categories. Onc which prcscribes the ctrgrbrlity criteria (i.c csscntial qualiticaltons) of thc candidatcs sccking crlrployrnerrt; and thc olher rvhich stipulates tllc mcthod artd rtraturcr ol nraking the sclcctior lront amonpsl the cltgtble caudrrJatcs.

16. The lau, is scttlcd that alter commencerlrent of thc recruitmcnt process the cligibility critcria is not to bc allcrc,.l bccausc caudidates cr,cn rI cligrblc undcr thc al(ered criteria miglrt not apply by thc last date undcr thc belicf thal thcv are Irot clrgible as pcr tlre ad\crtiscd criteria. Irl1olrl .\dtn t Khottt'.lligtrh ilu.slint Llni,ersir.v, (20O9) 4 SC(l 555 : (2009) ISCC(L&S) 9I7I Such alteratiorL,i:haugc. therefore, deprives a pcrson ol the guararl(ee of equal opporntnity in lllalters of public employment proridcd by Article 16 of the Colstitutrorr. Ihc tcltrcncc order f7r7 Prakash I'uhalv. Hrglt (ourt ol Rdloslltltl. (l(.tll) 4 S(( -540 : (1013) 2 SCC (L&S) l-5-rl thcrctirrc ackno\\ ledgcs this leg.rl position artd to clcar te ns acccpls tlrat "lhc rulcs of thc gante" cannol hc cltangcd alier commencemcnt of thc rccrurtnrcnt process lDsotar as the cligibility crltctla ls concemcd.

65.2. Eligibility critcria lor bciflg placed i thc sclccl list, notilicd al the comnlencclnent of the rccntitmcnt proccss- cannot be chattSed lnidrr'a.v tlrrough the rccruitment proccss unless thc c\tant Rulcs so pcrmit, or thc advertilclDcnt, \r'hich is nol co[trar]' to thc cxtant l(ulcs. so pemrit. llt'cn rl-sucll change is permissiblc under the extanl Rules or the advcnisemerl, thc change u'ould have to meet the requirenrent ol Article l.l of thc CuNtitutio artd satisly (hc test of non-arbitrariness"-

5. ln the teeth of afbrcsaid scttlcd legal position, it will bc ditficult for this Bench to accede to thc roquest nladc by thc pctitiorlcrs. Nonetheless, since we havo alrcady hcld that powcr to relax always lies with the rcspotrdent-elnployer and thc petitioncrs having alrcady approached thc authorities by way of reprcsentation dated 08.12.2025, it would always be available fbt the petitioners to pursuc the respondcnt-cmployer to couvince thoni if at alI they make out for a case lelaxation for which libcrtv stands reserved. 'z(2025) 2 Supreme Court Cases 1 ) i I I I I i I

6. With the afbrcsaicl dir-ection and observations, thc \ rit Pctrti()n stands rlisposctl ot. 'lher-c shall bc no urrlor trs to costs. Pcntling nriscelluncoLrs applications. i1'anv, shall sllrr r closcd SI) A{i M. OS IPTAN MAN ALI BAIG T REGISTRAR //TRUE COPY// To 1 The Principal Secretary, Law Department, State \of Building, Hyderabad SECTION OFFICER .elangana, Secretariat

2. The Chief Secretary to Government, General Arlr rinistration (J & RA) Department, State of Telangana, State of Telangana, ; Tderabad. 3 The Registrar (Recruitment), High Court for th(' State of Telangana, Hyderabad. 4 One CC to SRI NAYAKAWADI RAMESH, Advocate [o 'UC] 5 Two CCs to GP for Services-ll, High Court for th€ itate of Telangana at Hyderabad. [OUT] 6 One CC to SRI VIVEK JAIN, S.C. for High Court [OPt t ] 7. Two CD Copies MP BS. k.- HIGH COURT DAI ED:1711212025 ORDER P.Nr: 38765 of 2025 \ I .a a.() lELA4 .-i+ .--\' s F\ rt' o * #,' DISPOSING OF THE T'! RIT PETITION WI]HOUT COSTS -su-/5 ,9\' Xtr