Punjab and Haryana High Court: State more concerned with format than info

Saurabh Malik

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Chandigarh, May 27

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has ruled that discarding authenticated information solely because it doesn’t adhere to the prescribed format is unjustifiable. The assertion came as the Bench admonished Haryana and other respondents for callous attitude in a selection process.

The admonition came on a petition filed against the State and other respondents by Vikas seeking five additional marks for “being fatherless” in accordance with the selection criteria for a storekeeper’s post. Directions were also sought to consider him for selection and appointment on the post.

Justice Tribhuvan Dahiya’s Bench was told by the respondents’ counsel that the candidate was not entitled to the marks under the socio-economic criteria for “being fatherless” since he failed to provide the relevant information “as per the format”. The “fatherless certificate” was not attached/upload in the prescribed format. The certificate in correct format was not furnished even at the time of online scrutiny of the documents right up to the final declaration of result in 2023.

“By being more concerned with the format, instead of the facts brought to notice, the commission concerned has laid bare the hollowness of its approach to deal with a sensitive issue having serious repercussions for the candidate’s future,” Justice Dahiya ruled.

He observed five-mark weightage could not have been denied as the candidate was issued “orphan certificate” by the competent authority mentioning the requisite details in format that was in vogue/prescribed by the government.

“By denying the weightage in the face of these facts, the respondents have shown themselves to be more concerned with the format in which the information has been furnished, than the information itself, despite it being certified by the competent authority, albeit in a different format,” he asserted.

Advocate Aditya Sanghi was amicus curiae in the case.