Court Criticizes Blanket Cancellation of Recruitment Process, Upholds Fairness and Proportionality in Administrative Decisions
In a significant judgment, the Gauhati High Court has overturned the Central Administrative Tribunal's decision to uphold the cancellation of the entire examination process for the post of Chief Law Assistant under the 60% Departmental Promotion quota. The court found the blanket cancellation to be arbitrary and contrary to the principles of fairness and proportionality.
The case revolved around a recruitment process initiated by an advertisement dated May 26, 2022, followed by a written test on September 15, 2022. Despite the successful completion of procedural steps and the declaration of results, the examination was suddenly canceled on February 5, 2024, citing procedural irregularities. This decision was contested by the petitioners, who were among the successful candidates.
The High Court, in its judgment, emphasized that the sanctity of an examination should only warrant cancellation when compromised at a systemic level. It criticized the decision of the Railways to cancel the entire process without segregating the tainted candidates, highlighting it as a failure of the proportionality test and the Wednesbury principles of reasonableness. The Court noted that the irregularities were minor and could have been addressed through re-evaluation and segregation of specific cases.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice Ashutosh Kumar and Justice Arun Dev Choudhury, directed the respondents to segregate the cases of the two candidates under suspicion and complete the examination process within three months. The judgment reflects the Court's stand on ensuring fairness and preserving the rights of diligent candidates, aligning with the Supreme Court's guidelines in similar cases.
The decision not only reinstates the examination process but also sets a precedent for handling similar cases where administrative decisions impact the careers of individuals based on procedural discrepancies.
Bottom line:-
Recruitment process - Cancellation of entire examination process without segregating tainted candidates is arbitrary and violates the principles of fairness and proportionality. Examination cancellation should be justified only in cases where the sanctity of the examination is compromised at a systemic level.
Statutory provision(s): Article 14 of the Constitution of India, Proportionality Test, Wednesbury Principles
Ranjeet Kumar v. Union of India, (Gauhati)(DB) : Law Finder Doc id # 2907582
