Allahabad High Court Stays Merit List Revision in UPPSC Recruitment Case
Reserved Category Candidates Eligible to Compete as Unreserved if Marks Equal or Exceed General Candidates
In a significant ruling, the Allahabad High Court has stayed the redrawing of the merit list for the UP Public Service Commission (UPPSC) recruitment process, pending the outcome of an intra-court appeal. The decision was delivered by a division bench comprising Justices Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Anish Kumar Gupta on September 26, 2025, in response to an appeal by the Public Service Commission challenging an earlier single-judge order.
The dispute arose from a recruitment process initiated by the UPPSC for 609 posts across various categories, including Civil and Mechanical Engineers, through an advertisement dated December 17, 2024. The controversy centered around whether reserved category candidates who score marks equivalent to or higher than unreserved category candidates in the preliminary examination could migrate to the unreserved category.
The single judge had earlier ruled that such migration was permissible, emphasizing the principle of equality before law enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution. The court had observed that candidates performing on par with or better than unreserved category candidates should be treated equally, irrespective of their reserved status. This decision aimed to ensure a level playing field and prevent discrimination based on reserved status.
The UPPSC, however, contended that the merit list should not be altered at this stage. The division bench acknowledged the urgency of the matter, given that the mains examination was scheduled for September 28, 2025, and disrupting it would cause chaos for over 7,000 candidates. Consequently, the court allowed the examination to proceed as planned but stayed the implementation of the single judge's order to redraw the merit list until the appeal is decided.
The court has also restrained the UPPSC from declaring the results of the mains examination until further notice. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on October 7, 2025.
Bottom Line:
Recruitment process - Reservation - Reserved category candidates achieving marks equivalent to or above unreserved category candidates in preliminary examination are eligible to migrate to unreserved category, maintaining equality and ensuring a "level playing field." The merit list should be redrawn to reflect this principle.
Statutory provision(s): Article 14 of the Constitution of India
Public Service Commission v. State of U.P., (Allahabad)(DB) : Law Finder Doc Id # 2784977
