Screening Test Syllabus Found Irrational; Court Mandates Inclusion of Legal Knowledge in Revised Process
In a significant judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has quashed the recruitment process for the post of Assistant District Attorney under the Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) due to the irrationality of the existing screening test syllabus. The Division Bench, comprising Justices Ashwani Kumar Mishra and Rohit Kapoor, found that the exclusion of legal knowledge in the screening test violated Article 16 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees equal opportunity in public employment.
The judgment was delivered on April 23, 2026, and addressed seven connected Letters Patent Appeals (LPAs) filed by the HPSC challenging the decision of a Single Bench. The recruitment process, initiated in August 2025, consisted of three phases: a Screening Test, a Subject Knowledge Test, and an Interview. However, the syllabus for the Screening Test only included general subjects like General Science, Current Events, and Indian History, with no questions from the legal field, which was deemed irrational for a post requiring legal expertise.
The High Court emphasized that the recruitment process must reflect fairness and legality, with a rational nexus to the post requirements. The judgment noted that the unilateral changes to the syllabus and selection methodology without mandatory consultation were procedurally flawed and unconstitutional.
As a remedy, the court ordered a modification of the recruitment process. The revised process mandates that the Screening Test includes at least 50% questions from the field of law, and candidates up to ten times the number of advertised posts will be called for the Subject Knowledge Test. This modification aims to ensure the selection of candidates with the requisite legal knowledge and is specific to this recruitment process, not to be treated as a precedent for others.
The decision was welcomed by the respondents, who argued that the original syllabus was irrational and arbitrary. The court's intervention underscores the importance of aligning recruitment processes with constitutional principles and ensuring that candidates are evaluated on relevant knowledge for specialized posts.
Bottom Line:
Recruitment process for Assistant District Attorney quashed due to irrational screening test syllabus excluding legal knowledge; modified process mandated with 50% questions from the field of law and increased candidates for Subject Knowledge Test.
Statutory provision(s): Article 16, Article 320(3)(b) of the Constitution of India; Haryana Public Service Commission (Limitation of Functions) Regulations, 1973
