Court Dismisses Writ Petition for Issuance of E-Admit Card Due to Applicant's Oversight
In a significant judgment, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, presided over by Justice Nidhi Gupta, dismissed a civil writ petition filed by Angrej Brar against the State of Haryana and the Department of Personnel and Training. The petitioner sought a mandamus order directing the respondents to accept his application and issue an E-Admit Card for the examination of Assistant District Attorney.
The petitioner, Angrej Brar, had submitted his application form online within the stipulated period but failed to convert it into a PDF and upload it on the portal, a mandatory requirement as per the recruitment notification. The oversight led to his application being marked as "INCOMPLETE," thus barring him from receiving the E-Admit Card necessary to appear for the examination scheduled on July 5, 2026.
Petitioner's counsel argued that the failure was a mere technical issue and should not impede his career prospects. However, the court found no merit in this argument. Justice Gupta emphasized that it was the petitioner's responsibility to ensure compliance with all stipulated requirements, and his failure to do so demonstrated a lackadaisical attitude.
The court underscored the importance of adhering to recruitment notifications, referencing a Supreme Court judgment in Mohit Kumar v. State of Uttar Pradesh, which emphasized that non-compliance with recruitment terms could lead to adverse consequences.
The judgment reaffirmed the principle that courts should not interfere in recruitment processes due to an aspirant's oversight, especially when such processes are governed by clear instructions and timelines that ensure fairness and order.
Bottom line:-
Recruitment Process - Adherence to recruitment notification mandatory - Failure to comply with stipulated requirements of application submission cannot be excused on grounds of oversight or technical issues.
Statutory provision(s): Article 226/227 of the Constitution of India, Recruitment Process Regulations, Supreme Court judgment in Mohit Kumar v. State of Uttar Pradesh
Angrej Brar v. State of Haryana, (Punjab And Haryana) : Law Finder Doc id # 2937055
