Supreme Court: Telangana Judicial Service Rules Upheld, But Petitioners in District Judge Recruitment Allowed Appointment as Exceptional Case

Case Name: Usha Kiran Kshatri & Ors. v. State of Telangana & Ors. (with connected SLPs & Writ Petitions)
Date of Judgment: September 26, 2025
Citation: 2025 INSC 1169, Civil Appeal Nos. 11018–11019 of 2024 & connected matters
Bench: Hon’ble Mr. Justice Dipankar Datta and Hon’ble Mr. Justice Augustine George Masih

Held: The Supreme Court disposed of a batch of civil appeals, SLPs, and a writ petition challenging the Telangana State Judicial Service Rules, 2023, particularly Rule 5(5.1)(a) restricting eligibility for District Judge (Entry Level) recruitment to advocates practicing in Telangana High Court or its subordinate courts for not less than seven years. While keeping all legal questions open, the Court directed the High Court of Telangana to declare results and appoint the appellants/petitioners/intervenors who had qualified the recruitment examination, as a special case not to be treated as precedent. Their seniority would count only from their appointment date, without arrears of monetary benefits.

Summary: The appellants had applied in April 2023 for recruitment of District Judges under the 2017 Rules. However, with the issuance of Telangana State Judicial Service Rules, 2023 (effective 10.06.2023 but retrospectively from 01.01.2023), their candidatures were rejected on the ground that they were not advocates practicing in the Telangana High Court or subordinate courts. Their writ petitions were dismissed by the High Court in December 2023, which upheld the rules as valid under Article 233. The Supreme Court, after hearing extensive submissions and considering multiple precedents on Article 233 and eligibility criteria, requested the Telangana High Court to explore alternatives. The High Court conveyed its no-objection to declaring the petitioners’ results and appointing them without unsettling the 2023 Rules. The Supreme Court, appreciating this stance, directed appointments but clarified the order was confined to the peculiar facts of the case.

Decision: The Court directed the Telangana High Court to declare results of the appellants, verify antecedents, and appoint those qualified as District Judges within two months. It clarified that no arrears would be payable, and seniority would be reckoned prospectively. All legal issues raised remain open for future adjudication.