Supreme Court Issues Notices on Telangana Government's GO No. 46 for Constable Recruitment

The Supreme Court has issued notices to the respondents in a case challenging Telangana Government's GO No. 46, which pertains to the recruitment of 5,010 constable positions. The case, filed by 74 petitioners including Maturi Srikanth, came up for hearing before a bench comprising Justices Abhay S. Oka and Augustine George Masih on Monday.

The petitioners approached the Supreme Court after the Telangana High Court dismissed their claims on August 28, 2024. The Supreme Court, while issuing the notices, scheduled the next hearing for January 27, 2025.

The petitioners' counsel, senior advocate Aditya Sondhi, argued for a stay on the recruitment process for the 900 vacant posts until the case is resolved. The Supreme Court instructed the state government to maintain the status quo on the recruitment process until further orders. Alongside Sondhi, senior advocates G. Vidyasagar and Mithun Shashank represented the petitioners.

The dispute centers around allegations that GO No. 46, introduced in 2022, discriminates against candidates from rural areas. Opponents of the GO argue that it deprives rural aspirants of fair opportunities, while supporters assert that it ensures equality among candidates from all districts.

In recent months, protests erupted in Hyderabad, where aspirants, including Sub-Inspector and Constable candidates, expressed their dissatisfaction with the recruitment guidelines. Some protesters accused the government of spreading misinformation and demanded the GO’s revocation. Conversely, police aspirants defending the GO argued that it upholds equality and avoids favoritism towards specific regions.

The government introduced GO No. 46 to address concerns arising from the 2018 recruitment notification, ensuring uniformity across districts. The Supreme Court’s intervention now places the recruitment process in temporary suspension, leaving the resolution pending further hearings.