*THE HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE SRI APARESH KUMAR SINGH AND *THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE G.M.MOHIUDDIN + WRIT APPEAL No.1192 of 2025 %17-03-2026 Between # Dr.K.Ravi Shekar Rao ….Appellant And The State of Telangana, represented by its Principal Secretary, Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad and 9 others ….Respondents !Counsel for the appellant : Sri L.Ravichander, learned Senior Counsel representing Sri Srinivas Bobbili.

^Counsel for the respondents : Sri Santhapur Satyanarayana Rao, learned Government Pleader for Services-I appearing for respondent Nos.1 to 5 Gist :

>Head Note :

? Cases referred

1. (1978)1 SCC 405

2. (2018)17 SCC 578

3. (2022)12 SCC 1

4. 2025(1) ALD 134 (TS)

5. (2024)5 SCC 306

6. MANU/SC/0330/1967 7. MANU/SC/1579/2025 IN THE HIGH COURT FOR THE STATE OF TELANGANA AT HYDERABAD THE HON’BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE SRI APARESH KUMAR SINGH AND THE HON’BLE SRI JUSTICE G.M.MOHIUDDIN WRIT APPEAL No.1192 of 2025 DATE: 17.03.2026 Between:

Dr.K.Ravi Shekar Rao ….Appellant And The State of Telangana, represented by its Principal Secretary, Health, Medical & Family Welfare Department, Secretariat, Hyderabad and 9 others ….Respondents

JUDGMENT

Heard Sri L.Ravichander, learned Senior Counsel representing Sri Srinivas Bobbili, learned counsel appearing for the appellant and Sri Santhapur Satyanarayana Rao, learned Government Pleader for Services-I appearing for respondent Nos.1 to 5 and perused the record.

2. This writ appeal, preferred under Clause 15 of the Letters Patent, assails the order dated 26.09.2025 passed by the learned Single Judge in W.P.No.20111 of 2025. The appellant (3rd writ petitioner), calls in question the refusal of the learned Single Judge to grant him the relief of foregoing his promotion to the post of Principal, Government Medical College, Mahabubabad, under Rule 11(b) of the Telangana State and Subordinate Service Rules, 1996 (for short, ‘1996 Rules’).

3. The grievance of the appellant essentially stems from the dismissal of the writ petition as regards him, while similar relief was granted to certain other petitioners in the same writ proceedings.

Factual matrix

4. The appellant is a Professor of Ophthalmology at Gandhi Medical College, Secunderabad. By G.O.Rt.No.298, dated 07.07.2025, issued by the Government of Telangana, the appellant was promoted and posted as Principal, Government Medical College, Mahabubabad.

5. Upon issuance of the said promotion order, the appellant submitted representations expressing his unwillingness to accept the post and sought permission to forego the promotion. In his representations, the appellant stated that he was discharging important academic responsibilities in the Department of Ophthalmology, including supervision of six postgraduate students, and also referred to certain personal circumstances relating to the age and serious health condition of his 86 years old mother. Despite this, the authorities insisted the appellant to join the promoted post.

6. The appellant along with five other professors, who were similarly aggrieved by their respective promotional postings, approached this Court by filing W.P.No.20111 of 2025.

7. The learned Single Judge, by order dated 26.09.2025, partly allowed the aforesaid writ petition. The learned Single Judge set aside the promotions of petitioners 2, 4, 5, and 6, whereas the writ petition was dismissed in respect of petitioner No.1 and petitioner No.3. The learned Single Judge distinguished their cases on the ground that they had been promoted to the posts of Principal, which is a teaching post, and that the State had demonstrated the existence of public interest in posting them to newly established medical colleges to ensure compliance with the norms of the National Medical Commission (NMC).

8. Aggrieved by the said order, the appellant has preferred the present writ appeal.

Submissions on behalf of the appellant

9. Learned Senior Counsel representing the appellant assailed the order dated 26.09.2025 passed by the learned S