E-Paper
High court restrains Haryana from declaring result for 12,000 Group-C posts
In a special hearing conducted by the bench of justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Vikram Aggarwal, the HC also made it clear that the two examinations (for Group-56 and 57) scheduled to be held on August 5 and August 6 could be conducted at a later stage but the result of the same would be subject to the final outcome of the dispute before the HC.
A Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) bench on Saturday allowed Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) to hold examination for recruitment in two categories for as many as 12,116 Group-C posts but restrained them from declaring the result of the same.
In a special hearing conducted by the bench of justice GS Sandhawalia and justice Vikram Aggarwal, the HC also made it clear that the two examinations (for Group-56 and 57) scheduled to be held on August 5 and August 6 could be conducted at a later stage but the result of the same would be subject to the final outcome of the dispute before the HC.
On Friday, a single judge bench had restrained the state government and commission from going ahead with two examinations on pleas challenging the merit list prepared on the basis of the Common Eligibility Test (CET). The argument was that CET score is not being prepared in a transparent manner as additional marks are being granted under socio-economic criteria, and scrutiny of certificate is not being done.
The recruitment was being conducted under a May 2022 policy of the state government under which for the recruitment to Group-C and D posts, a Common Eligibility Test has been introduced. A candidate, in order to clear the CET (general category), has to secure a minimum of 50% marks. For the reserved category, the same is 40%.
The single judge bench on Friday had directed that the claim of each and every candidate who was claiming benefit of additional marks under socio-economic criteria be verified and thereafter, a revised list of eligible candidates be considered for written examination of these two categories posts.
It was also directed that the roll numbers of the candidates, who are being called for written test for a particular post, and that too under a particular category, be put out in public domain with cut off of the marks.
The HSSC had deferred the examination slated for August 5 and August 6. The government had argued before the division bench that out of 3,58,000 candidates who had qualified, 2,68,000 had claimed marks in socio-economic criteria as per the notification of May 2022. As many as 41,587 candidates had withdrawn their claim. The dispute as such arose regarding Group 56 and 57 selection, whereas there are a total of 63 such groups of various types of posts to be filled up on the basis of the result of CET. For Group-57 posts, 37,657 candidates were to sit for the examination, whereas 30,704 candidates would be sitting for Group-56 and a total of 68,361 candidates have to appear in the written examination/skill test on the weekend. When such a large number of candidates are involved, the benefit being claimed under the socio-economic criteria cannot be verified at this point of time and there are sufficient safeguards as such that the same would be done at the final stage, state’s advocate general, BR Mahajan had told the court adding that there is also provision of cancellation of candidature and criminal proceedings if the information furnished is false or incorrect.
Now the hearing has been deferred by the division bench for September 1 while issuing notice of motion and allowing the state to go ahead with the examination in these two categories.
