HC sets aside earlier order, allows HPSC's appeal

A Double Bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court has allowed an appeal by the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC), ruling that candidates for the posts of Ayurvedic Medical Officers (AMOs) were not entitled to any relief based on category certificates submitted after the specified deadline.

The court set aside an earlier Single Bench order dated February 15, 2025, vide which it ruled in favour of several writ petitioners, directing the HPSC to accept their reservation certificates BC(A), BC(B), and EWS, even though they were submitted after the deadline.

The commission, in its appeal, said on June 21, 2024, it had invited applications for appointment to 805 posts of Ayurvedic Medical Officers (Group B) in the state Health and Ayush Department.

The advertisement contained details required from candidates, as also the qualification and the date for commencement of submission of online applications as June 22, 2024, and the closing date was July 12, 2024.

Many applicants claiming reservation under BC(A) and BC(B) categories had not appended their certificates before the last date of form submission.

The commission, therefore, did not treat the applications as valid and before rejecting the same, issued a notice on December 26, 2024.

The petitioners then filed writ petitions in the high court, wherein interim orders were issued permitting them to appear in the interview. They had contended that the certificate required to be submitted by the candidate was only the document evidencing the proof of eligibility and was not the eligibility itself.

The Double Bench of Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Rohit Kapoor ruled that, “...we are of the view that the respondents-writ petitioners were not entitled to any relief in the matter inasmuch as they have not furnished the proof of their eligibility/made amends in their application, by the cut-off date, therefore, the contrary view taken by the Single Bench in the writ petitions, in such circumstances, cannot be sustained. Accordingly, the LPAs stand allowed."

The court further said it has to also be borne in mind that in the peculiar facts and circumstances, since a large number of applicants are involved, some finality has to be given, otherwise some candidate or the other would claim further relaxation, making it a never-ending process, which would lead to administrative chaos.