Recruitment of constables in Haryana: HC refuses to vacate stay on appointments

The high court bench of justice Jaishree Thakur, responding to a plea seeking modification of the July 6, 2022 order, whereby the government was restrained from making appointments said that no appointments be made under the category of male constables, relating to the selection process which is under challenge in the plea. The court, however, sought a government response on the plea filed by a candidate by April 17

The Punjab and Haryana high court on Tuesday refused to vacate the stay on the appointment of 5,000 male constables in Haryana.

The matter reached court in 2021 in which multiple aspirants had challenged the merit list of candidates who applied pursuant to the advertisement put out in December 2020.

The high court bench of justice Jaishree Thakur, responding to a plea seeking modification of the July 6, 2022 order, whereby the government was restrained from making appointments said that no appointments be made under the category of male constables, relating to the selection process which is under challenge in the plea. The court, however, sought a government response on the plea filed by a candidate by April 17.

The advertisement “No.4 /2020” was for the recruitment of 7,298 posts constable, including 5,000 male and 1,100 female constables and the remaining posts included some other categories. Tuesday’s order is with regard to the appointment of 5,000 male constables.

The matter reached court in 2021 in which multiple aspirants had challenged the merit list of candidates who applied pursuant to the advertisement put out in December 2020.

The pleas argued that there was a deviation in the preparation of the merit list. Initially, the percentile method had been adopted and a merit list was prepared. But it was subsequently scrapped because the Haryana Staff Selection Commission had to add additional marks on account of socio-economic criteria, higher qualification etc. to a candidate. The plea had argued adding that if those additional marks were added to the percentile method adopted, the value of marks would go beyond 100 marks.

The government had argued that the formula was suggested by the Indian Statistical Institute and had been followed in letter and spirit and mathematical calculations cannot be disputed. However, the court on September 2022, had roped in Central Staff Selection Commission, New Delhi, to assist the court in the matter observing that the court was “not equipped to deal with the issue”.