Telangana HC declares out-of-state distance degrees invalid for government jobs

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court has ruled that degrees from distance education study centres operating outside a university's home state are invalid for government employment, striking down qualifications obtained via Andhra Pradesh-based Acharya Nagarjuna University centres in Telangana.

A Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Aparesh Kumar Singh and Justice GM Mohiuddin upheld the Telangana Public Service Commission's (TGPSC) rejection of candidates for 71 librarian posts under a 2022 notification. The candidates had secured Masters in Library Science (MLiSc) degrees through the university's Telangana centres, despite its jurisdiction being confined to Guntur and Prakasam districts in Andhra Pradesh.

The court affirmed that universities established under one state's laws cannot conduct classes or maintain study centres elsewhere, citing a 2013 University Grants Commission (UGC) public notice limiting operations to state boundaries. The candidates had cleared initial selection and featured on the provisional list in September 2024, but were disqualified during certificate verification in August 2024.

Challenging the rejection, they approached a single judge, who directed authorities to consider their candidature, noting prior acceptances in 2017 recruitments and promotions. The Division Bench overturned this, ruling that past irregularities do not justify new violations. It also dismissed claims under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, stating transitional provisions do not supersede UGC territorial rules.

The decision clears the path for TGPSC to finalise appointments—40 under the Commissioner of Intermediate Education and 31 under the Commissioner of Technical Education—strictly per regulations.