HC Issues Contempt Notice to Telangana Education Secretary in HPS Case

The Telangana High Court on Wednesday issued a contempt notice to the state education secretary over alleged non-compliance with its earlier directions concerning complaints of irregularities in the Hyderabad Public School (HPS) Society, which oversees institutions in Begumpet and Ramanthapur.

A two-member bench headed by the Chief Justice issued the notice following submissions that the senior government official had failed to act on the court's previous order. Advocate P.K. Kalyani, appearing for petitioner Durgam Ravinder, informed the bench that the Education Secretary had neither responded to the representation nor acted upon the directives within the time frame stipulated by the court.

The legal proceedings stem from an earlier petition that was disposed of by the High Court in October 2025. During that hearing, a division bench had instructed the principal secretary of the Education Department to thoroughly examine Ravinder’s representation and take an appropriate decision within three months.

Ravinder had initially moved the High Court seeking government intervention and decisive action over serious allegations regarding the management and affairs of the HPS Society. The Society administers prominent campuses in Hyderabad, including the Hyderabad Public School premises at Begumpet and Ramanthapur.

A major contention raised in Ravinder's petition pertains to school properties. The petitioner has alleged that nearly 100 acres of government land situated within the HPS Begumpet premises does not figure in the Society’s official records.

Beyond the land issue, the formal representation submitted to the Education Department outlined several other alleged administrative and operational lapses. These included grievances concerning the management and handling of funds, adherence to reservation norms in student admissions, and reservation guidelines in recruitment. The representation also raised scrutiny over contracts awarded by the administration, ongoing construction projects, and the overall management of school land.

Because no decision or response was rendered within the mandated three-month window, the petitioner initiated contempt proceedings, leading the bench headed by the Chief Justice to issue the notice to the education secretary.