Overview
- Justice Nagesh Bheemapaka set aside the Telangana Public Service Commission’s final list after finding that OMR sheets altered in Part-B were evaluated in defiance of binding directions.
- The court held that expanding re-evaluation to all four papers, despite discrepancies arising only in Paper-I, was arbitrary and beyond the commission’s authority.
- TGPSC’s reliance on automated scanners and its contention that cancellations would affect appointees were rejected as technology could not cure an illegal evaluation.
- The commission was directed to re-evaluate strictly per the 2017 Technical Committee report and the prior division bench order, finalize results, and issue appointment orders within eight weeks.
- Citing Tej Prakash Pathak v. Rajasthan High Court, the judge reaffirmed that recruitment rules cannot change mid-process and instructed stronger transparency measures in future evaluations.