IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE, ANDHRA PRADESH AT HYDERABAD (Special Original Jurisdiction) FRIDAY, THE TWENTY FOURTH DAY OF APRIL TWO THOUSAND AND NINE PRESENT THE HON'BLE SRI ANIL R. DAVE, THE CHIEF JUSTICE and THE HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE RAMESH RANGANATHAN WRIT PETITION NO : 27662 of 2008 Between: Dr. T.K. Srinivasulu, S/o. Late Kesavulu, & President, Vijaya Nagarjuna Consumers Welfare Association, R/o. 23-5-465, Lal Darwaza X Roads, Hyderabad. ..... PETITIONER AND 1 The Government of Andhra Pradesh, Rep. by its Principal Secretary, Home Department, Secrtariat, Hyderabad. 2 The State Level Police Recruitment Board, Rep. by its Secretary, Gosha Mahal, Hyderabad. 3 The Director General of Police, Saifabad, Hyderabad. .....RESPONDENT(S) Petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India praying that in the circumstances stated in the affidavit filed herein the High Court will be pleased to issue a Writ, order or direction more particularly a Writ of Mandamus directing the respondents to reduce the qualifying marks in Written Tests to 20% i.e., 40 marks for 200 marks for the 2300 applicants appeared for the post of Police Constables left over during the selections for the year 2007/2008 in Hyderabad City Zone in the present scenario of anticipating Terrorist Attacks Counsel for the Petitioner: PARTY-IN-PERSON Counsel for the Respondents: GP FOR HOME The Court made the following : ORAL ORDER: (Per Sri Anil R. Dave, CJ) This is a public interest litigation wherein the petitioner has submitted that the number of police personnel in the state are less. It is his case that less number of persons are selected though there are several posts vacant. It is also his case that the qualifying standard in respect of police personnel should be brought down so that a good number of persons can be made available to the state authorities. Our attention has been drawn to a copy of report submitted by the Government, wherein it has been stated that even though vacancies are huge, very few persons are selected possibly because such less number of persons are qualified for appointment to the posts in question. In the circumstances, the prayer of the petitioner is that qualifying standard in case of appointment to the post of police constables and other police personnel should be brought down. Upon hearing the petitioner, who is appearing in person, and the learned Government Pleader for Home, we are of the view that the prayer made in the petition cannot be accepted. It would not be just and proper and in the interests of the society to bring down the qualifying standard for the reason that it would result into recruitment of incompetent or less qualified police personnel. Moreover, it is for the respondent – employer to decide as to what sort of police personnel are required by the Home Department. It is for the Home Department and the concerned respondent authority to determine the qualifying standard and the qualifications for the posts in question. In view of the above fact, this Court would not like to direct the respondent authorities to bring down the qualifying standard so as to have a poor quality of more police personnel, who would not be in a position to do challenging work, which they are supposed to do. We however hope that the respondent authorities shall do the needful for filling up the posts as soon as possible. With the above observations, we reject the petition. ANIL R. DAVE, CJ RAMESH RANGANATHAN, J 24th April, 2009. ks