HC directs HSSC to email CET admit cards to candidates denied due to non upload of signed acknowledgment slips

The Punjab and Haryana High Court today directed the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) to issue admit cards via email by July 26 to all eligible candidates who had submitted their applications and deposited the requisite fee for the Common Eligibility Test‑2025 (CET), but were denied admit cards solely because they failed to upload the signed fee deposit acknowledgment slip.

The direction by Justice Vinod S Bhardwaj came after Haryana Advocate-General Pravindra Singh Chauhan submitted that they would permit the petitioners – denied the admit cards solely for failure to upload the application forms along with the fee receipt after their signatures – to appear.

“The admit cards shall be issued to the eligible petitioners, who submitted their application forms and deposited their fee prior to the cut-off-date and have been refused admit cards on account of failure to upload the acknowledged documents and to provisionally participate in the CET exam to be held on July 27, subject to final outcome of the present petition…,” ordered Justice Bhardwaj.

The direction came on a bunch of petitions filed by candidates through advocates Ravinder Singh Dhull, Navnit Sharma, Arti and Sarvesh Kumar Gupta. The Bench was told that the petitioners had completed the application process and paid the fee within the stipulated time but failed to upload the acknowledgment slip bearing their signatures.

At the onset, Chauhan referred to the advertisement and the prescribed stages open to candidates submitting application forms “specifically prescribing the mandate of taking a printout of the form as well as the acknowledgment receipt and to upload the same after appending counter signatures on the fee receipt”.

He also referred to the e-mail sent to the unsuccessful candidates to caution them and to rectify the defects in their application form. Chauhan contended that the HSSC had a serious objection against consideration of the petitioners’ claims.

“Out of over 15 lakh applicants, the application forms of nearly 14 lakh were found to be in order. It shows that the laxity and negligence, if any, was solely on the part of the applicants. They cannot, thus, be permitted to take premium of their own negligence,” Chauhan added.

Justice Bhardwaj asserted the Advocate-General “fairly” did not dispute that the CET shifts were slated for July 26 and 27 and the petitioners would lose out on an opportunity even if the matter was taken up the next working day.

“Given the exigencies of the circumstances and noticing that a balance of convenience would prima facie rest in favour of the petitioners herein, he submits that without recording any concession and without conceding on any of the arguable issues which the state government may have to raise, they would allow permission to the petitioners herein, those who were denied the admit cards solely on the ground of their failure to upload the application forms along with the fee receipt after their signatures”.

The case will now come up for further hearing on August 18.