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2025 Supreme(SC) 2068
SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
AHSANUDDIN AMANULLAH, S.V.N. BHATTI, JJ.
Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board – Appellant1
Versus
Penjarla Vijay Kumar and Others – Respondents
R1: Penjarla Vijay Kumar
R2: Gandu Vikram Goud
R3: Kappera Chandraiah
R4: Thirunagari Murali Krishna
R5: Nallagoni Sagar
R6: Karijala Anil
R7: Gujja Mahesh
R8: Thonda Mallesh
R9: Kavali Sadanandam
R10: Muthineni Yakanna
R11: Chityala Naveen
R12: Sarikonda Ganesh Kumar
R13: Kadari Srinivas
R14: Kethavath Bharath
R15: Suguru Shivudu
R16: Pallela Veeraiah
R17: Sheik Riyaz
R18: Sheik Fayaz
R19: Kethavath Hanuma Naik
R20: Majlikarjun
R21: Osman
R22: Durgam Praveen Kumar
R23: Naredlu Venkatesh
R24: Pattipati Mahesh
R25: Dunn Saikumar
R26: Batthula Venkatesh
R27: Kola Rohith
R28: G. Jayaramudu
R29: Bandla Sandeep
R30: Kandresai Charan
R31: Kyadasi Kiran Kumar
R32: Reddy Pavan
R33: The State of Telangana Rep. by its Principal Secretary Home Department
Civil Appeal No. 14865-14869 of 2025 [Special Leave Petitions (Civil) No. 8684-8688 of 2024]
Decided On : 18-12-2025
1[Common Appellant in all the appeals emanating from Special Leave Petitions (Civil) No. 8684-8688/2024]
For the Petitioner(s): Ms. Aswathi M.k., AOR Mr. K Radhakrishnan, Sr. Adv. Ms. Devina Sehgal, AOR Mr. Srikanth Varma Mudunuru, Adv. Mr. C. Kranthi Kumar, Adv.
For the Respondent(s): Mr. Nikhil Goel, Sr. Adv. Mr. P. Mohith Rao, AOR Ms. J. Akshitha, Adv. Mr. Eugene S Philomene, Adv. Mr. Vikas Mehta, AOR Mr. Basa Mithun Shashank, Adv. Ms. Ankita Gupta, AOR
The renewal of an expired driving licence does not retroactively validate eligibility for recruitment if there was a lapse in holding a valid licence for the required duration.
Headnote:(A) Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 - Sections 14, 15, and the Amendment Act, 2019 - Eligibility criteria for drivers - The appellant contended that to be eligible, a candidate must possess a driving licence without any break for two years prior to the notification date. Respondents who renewed their expired licences were deemed eligible per the Single Judge's ruling, which was affirmed by the Division Bench. The Supreme Court held that an expired licence does not automatically extend its validity post-renewal. Thus, candidates must have uninterrupted licence validity for the stipulated period. (Paras 5, 22-25, 32-35)
Facts of the case:
The Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board issued recruitment notifications requiring candidates to possess valid driving licences for specific durations. Several candidates whose licences expired but were renewed afterwards claimed eligibility, leading to legal challenges.
Findings of Court:
The Supreme Court found that licences must be held continuously for two years to meet eligibility, thus allowing the appeals and dismissing the writ petitions filed by the private respondents.
Issues: The primary issue was whether the renewal of a driving licence after expiry makes it continuous for eligibility requirements.
Ratio Decidendi: The Supreme Court concluded that the legislative amendments define eligibility strictly, and candidates must demonstrate proper continuous holding of a valid licence without gaps.
Result: Appeals allowed.
JUDGMENT :
AHSANUDDIN AMANULLAH, J.
1. Delay condoned in Diary No. 12553/2024.
2. I.A. No. 74279/2024 seeking permission to file Special Leave Petitions is allowed in Diary No. 12553/2024.
3. Leave granted in all petitions.
4. By way of the instant appeals, challenge is laid to the common Final Judgment and Order dated 03.10.2023 in WA No. 877/2023 (against WP No. 8571/2023), WA No. 972/2023 (against WP No. 8927/2023), WA No. 973/2023 (against WP No. 2365 of 2023), WA No. 974/2023 (against WP No. 6914/2023) and WA(SR) No. 38269/2023 (against WP No. 8988/2023) (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Impugned Judgment’) passed by a learned Division Bench of the High Court for the State of Telangana at Hyderabad (hereinafter referred to as the ‘High Court’), whereby the Writ Appeals filed by the Appellant have been dismissed, affirming the Common Order dated 30.06.2023 passed by a learned Single Judge of the High Court in Writ Petitions No. 8571, 8927, 2365, 6914 and 8988 of 2023. Though from the record it transpires that Writ Petitions No. 7834, 7872, 8345, 8354, 8360, 8368, 8390, 8566, 8825, 8856 and 8859 of 2023 were also disposed of in similar terms as Writ Petitions No. 8571, 8927, 2365, 6914 and 8988 of 2023 by the Single Judge, but writ appeals there-against were not preferred. The reasons, we have been informed by learned counsel for the Appellant, are that before such appeals could be filed, the Judgment impugned was rendered by the Division Bench.
5. The first batch of Civil Appeals arising from SLP (Civil) Nos. 8684-8688/2024 is directed against the Impugned Judgment of the Division Bench affirming the Judgment passed by the Single Judge, by which the underlying writ petitions filed by persons who claimed eligibility on the ground that though their driving licences3 [We must clarify here that we have utilised both variants of the word in question, that is, ‘licence’ as also ‘license’ and their plurals, in this Judgment] had expired within a period which was two years prior to the date of Notification in continuity but who had got the same renewed after some gap, were allowed, holding them eligible for the recruitment process in question, whereas the Civil Appeals emanating from Diary No. 12553 of 2024 are by persons challenging the Impugned Judgment, who possessed valid driving licences continuously for a period of two years prior to the date of the Notification(s), without any intervening disqualification/expiry.
6. As the core issue involved is the same, these Civil Appeals are dealt with collectively. For the sake of convenience, facts in the Civil Appeal arising out of SLP (C) Nos. 8684-8688 of 2024 are noticed.
FACTUAL OVERVIEW:
7. Briefly stated, the material facts are that on 25.04.2022 the Appellant/Telangana State Level Police Recruitment Board issued a Recruitment Notification to fill up 100 posts of Stipendiary Cadet Trainee (SCT) Police Constable (Drivers) (Men) in the Police Transport Organization. The Appellant issued another Notification dated 20.05.2022 to fill up 225 posts of Driver Operator in the Telangana State Disaster Response and Fire Services Department. In all, 325 posts of Drivers, as above, were notified to be recruited. One of the essential qualifications stipulated in the Notification dated 25.04.2022 was that the candidate must have possessed either Light Motor Vehicle, LMV (Transport with Badge Number) or Heavy Motor Vehicle licence (HMV Licence), or both together, continuously for a period of full two years and above as on the date of the Notification and similar condition in Notification dated 20.05.2022 was that one must have possessed valid HMV Licence continuously for a period of two years and above as on date of the Notification.
8. The selection method consisted of skill test for 100 marks and written examination for 200 marks. Skill test was conducted between 02.03.2023 to 24.03.2023 and only those who had valid driving licences were allowed to participate in the written examination which was su
