Supreme Court of India
ANIL KISHORE PANDITversusTHE STATE OF BIHAR AND OTHERS
- Citation
- 2024 INSC 188
- Decided
- 2 February 2024
- Disposal
- Appeal(s) allowed
Holding
An employer cannot alter the qualifications or eligibility criteria stipulated in a recruitment advertisement after its publication, as such mid‑stream changes are arbitrary and defeat the vested right of candidates to be considered under the original terms.
Summary
The appellant applied for a contractual Amin post under a public advertisement that fixed the age cut‑off at 40 years as of 1 January 2011. After he cleared the written exam and was placed high on the merit list, the authorities issued a later notice changing the cut‑off date to 1 November 2011, thereby disqualifying him as over‑aged. The appellant challenged the cancellation, and the High Court Division Bench set aside his appointment, holding the later notice as the operative criterion. The Supreme Court held that an employer cannot alter the qualifications or eligibility criteria stipulated in a recruitment advertisement after its publication, as such mid‑stream changes are arbitrary and defeat the vested right of candidates to be considered under the original terms. Consequently, the Court quashed the impugned judgment, restored the appellant’s original appointment dated 27 June 2015, and ordered the respondents to re‑appoint him.
Issues considered
- Whether an employer may change the qualifications or eligibility criteria prescribed in a recruitment advertisement during the ongoing selection process.
- Whether such a mid‑stream change is arbitrary and violative of the candidate's vested right to be considered under the original advertisement.
- Whether a subsequent notice altering the age cut‑off, not issued as a public advertisement, is valid for disqualifying candidates.
Subjects
Change the qualifications prescribed in the advertisement midstreamSelection processAppointmentArbitrarinessChange in the eligibility criteria qualificationRight of candidate
Judgment
[2024] 2 S.C.R. 1196 : 2024 INSC 188
Anil Kishore Pandit
v.
The State of Bihar and Others
(Civil Appeal No. 1566 of 2024)
02 February 2024
[Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, JJ.]
Issue for Consideration
Matter pertains to permissibility of an employer to change the
qualifications prescribed in the advertisement midstream, during
the course of the ongoing selection process.
Headnotes
Service law – Appointment to the post – Change in the
qualifications prescribed in the advertisement midstream,
during the course of the ongoing selection process –
Permissibility:
Held: Employer cannot change the qualifications prescribed in
the advertisement midstream, during the course of the ongoing
selection process – Any such action would be arbitrary as it
would tantamount to denial of an opportunity to those candidates
who are eligible in terms of the advertisement but would stand
disqualified on the basis of a change in the eligibility criteria
after the same is announced by the employer – Having applied
for appointment in accordance with the terms prescribed in the
advertisement, a candidate acquires a vested right to be considered
in accordance with the said advertisement – This consideration
may not necessarily fructify into an appointment but certainly
entitles the candidate to be considered for selection in accordance
with the rules as they existed on the date of the advertisement
– Any subsequent amendment to the advertisement during the
course of the selection process unless retrospective, cannot be
a ground to disqualify a candidate from consideration – Division
Bench erred in setting aside the order of the Single Judge of the
High Court and cancelling appellant’s appointment to the post of
Amin on the ground of his being overage on basis of the change
in criteria/qualification in the selection process during midstream
– Impugned judgement quashed and set aside – Earlier order
[2024] 2 S.C.R. 1197
Anil Kishore Pandit v. The State of Bihar and Others
passed by respondents appointing the appellant to the post by
reckoning the age of the candidate in EBC category as 40 years,
as on 01.01.2011 upheld. [Paras 8, 12, 13]
Case Law Cited
N.T. Devin Katti and Others v. Karnataka Public Service
Commission and Others, (1990) 3 SCC 157; Mohd.
Sohrab Khan v. Aligarh Muslim University and Others,
[2009] 2 SCR 907 : (2009) 4 SCC 555; Zonal Manager,
Bank of India, Zonal Office, Kochi and Others v. Aarya
K. Babu and Another, [2019] 11 SCR 627 : (2019) 8
SCC 587 – referred to.
List of Keywords
Change the qualifications prescribed in the advertisement
midstream; Selection process; Appointment; Arbitrariness; Change
in the eligibility criteria/qualification; Right of candidate.
Case Arising From
CIVIL APPELLATE JURISDICTION : Civil Appeal No.1566 of 2024
From the Judgment and Order dated 24.01.2017 of the High Court
of Judicature at Patna in LPA No.1892 of 2015
Appearances for Parties
Subhro Sanyal, Sagar Roy, Sandeep Lamba, Amber Shehbaz Ansari,
Dr. Nilakshi Choudhury, Kaushal Kishore, Mr./Ms. Avni Singh, Sanjay
Kumar, Ms. Aakanksa Tiwari, Advs. for the Appellant.
Samir Ali Khan, Pranjal Sharma, Kashif Irshad Khan, Neeraj Shekhar,
Kartik Kumar, Mrs. Kshama Sharma, Advs. for the Respondents.
Judgment / Order of the Supreme Court
Order
1. Leave granted.
2. The appellant is aggrieved by an order dated 24th January, 2017,
passed by the Division Bench of the High Court of Judicature at
Patna whereunder, an intra-Court Appeal1 filed by the respondent
1 LPA No. 1892 of 2015
1198 [2024] 2 S.C.R.
Digital Supreme Court Reports
no.8 herein against an order dated 07th March, 2013, passed by
the learned Single Judge in a writ petition2 filed by the appellant
herein was allowed and as a result thereof, the order passed by
the respondent no.1-State Government in compliance of the order
passed by the learned Single Judge to appoint the appellant, if his
date of birth was found to be within the permissible range as on 01st
January, 2011, was set aside.
3. A reference to the brief facts of the case is considered necessary.
Vide memo dated 13th October, 2011, the District Employment
Officer, West Champaran, Bettiah published an advertisement
inviting applications from suitable candidates for appointment to
the post of Amins on contractual basis. The cut off date of the age
as per the District level vacancy was fixed as 40 years as on 01st
January, 2011, for the Economic Backward Class3 category, both
males and females. The appellant applied for selection to the said
post pursuant to the advertisement dated 13th October, 2011. It is
not in dispute that as on 01st January, 2011, the appellant’s age
was 39 years 11 months and 27 days. In other words, the appellant
qualified the age criteria in terms of the subject advertisement. The
records reveal that in pursuance to a letter4 subsequently issued by
the Principal Secretary Revenue and L.R. Department, Government
of Bihar, another notice was displayed on the Notice Board of the
Collectorate, West Champaran on 15th November, 2011, stating that
interested parties could apply till 30th November, 2011.
4. The appellant appeared for the written examination on 22nd January,
2012. Thereafter, a merit list was prepared for counselling in which his
name was placed at Serial No.2. The District establishment prepared
a selection list on 04th December, 2012, where his name was placed
at Serial No.9, whereas that of the respondent No.8 was at Serial
No.11. The remarks column noted that the appellant’s candidature
was cancelled on the ground of his being overage.
5. Aggrieved by the aforesaid, the appellant submitted a representation
before the District Magistrate for rectification of the results, but to no
avail. The appellant then filed a writ petition before the High Court on
2 CWJC No. 15685 of 2012
3 For short the ‘EBC’
4 No. 446(4)/Revenue (dated 04th November, 2011)
[2024] 2 S.C.R. 1199
Anil Kishore Pandit v. The State of Bihar and Others
28th August, 2012, which was disposed of vide order dated 07th March,
2013, with a direction issued to the Collector, West Champaran to
examine his grievance and pass necessary orders of appointment, in
the event the date of birth of the appellant was found to be correct,
i.e. 05th January, 1971, in terms of his Matriculation Certificate. On
27th June, 2015, the appellant was appointed to the post of Amin by
the District Magistrate West Champaran, Bettiah.
6. Aggrieved by the said appointment, the respondent no.8 filed an
intra-Court appeal before the Division Bench stating inter alia that
he was not made a party by the appellant in the writ petition and
assailing his appointment on the ground that the appellant was
overaged in terms of the press communication dated 01st November,
2011. Agreeing with the stand of the respondent No.8, the Division
Bench has passed the impugned judgement. The Division Bench
was of the opinion that the entire selection process had been carried
out on the basis of treating the cut off date as 01st November, 2011.
It was observed that though the advertisement at the District level
did officially fix the cut off date as 01st January, 2011, it was not
considered sacrosanct since uniformity was required to be maintained
across the State with regard to the cut off date fixed.
7. Learned counsel for the appellant assails the impugned order on
the ground that the Division Bench erred in ignoring the date of the
public advertisement that mentioned the cut off date as 01st January,
2011, for reckoning the age of a candidate, which in the case of the
appellant herein who belongs to the extremely backward category,
was 40 years. He states that the subsequent communication issued
by the respondents changing the cut off date from 01st January, 2011
to 01st November, 2011, was not placed in public domain through any
advertisement, as had been done earlier. Instead, it was displayed
only on the Notice Board in the office of the Collectorate, which
was not the correct procedure to be adopted and could not have
been treated as overwriting the initial advertisement issued on 01st
January, 2011.
8. It is settled law that it is not open for an employer to change the
qualifications prescribed in the advertisement midstream, during
the course of the ongoing selection process. Any such action would
be hit by the vice of arbitrariness as it would tantamount to denial
of an opportunity to those candidates who are eligible in terms of
1200 [2024] 2 S.C.R.
Digital Supreme Court Reports
the advertisement but would stand disqualified on the basis of a
change in the eligibility criteria after the same is announced by the
employer. Having applied for appointment in accordance with the
terms prescribed in the advertisement, a candidate acquires a vested
right to be considered in accordance with the said advertisement.
This consideration may not necessarily fructify into an appointment
but certainly entitles the candidate to be considered for selection
in accordance with the rules as they existed on the date of the
advertisement. To put it differently, the right of a candidate for being
considered in terms of the advertisement stands crystalized on
the date of the publication of the advertisement. Any subsequent
amendment to the advertisement during the course of the selection
process unless retrospective, cannot be a ground to disqualify a
candidate from the zone of consideration.
9. In the above context, this Court in N.T. Devin Katti and Others v.
Karnataka Public Service Commission and Others5 has held as
under :
“11. ….. Lest there be any confusion, we would like to
make it clear that a candidate on making application for
a post pursuant to an advertisement does not acquire
any vested right of selection, but if he is eligible and is
otherwise qualified in accordance with the relevant rules
and the terms contained in the advertisement, he does
acquire a vested right of being considered for selection
is accordance with the rules as they existed on the date
of advertisement. He cannot be deprived of that limited
right on the amendment of rules during the pendency of
selection unless the amended rules are retrospective in
nature”.
10. A similar view has been expressed in Mohd. Sohrab Khan v. Aligarh
Muslim University and Others6, where this Court did not approve
the change of the criteria/qualification in the selection process by
the Selection Committee constituted for filling up the post Lecturer
in Chemistry in the respondent-University and observed as follows :
5 (1990) 3 SCC 157
6 [2009] 2 SCR 907 : (2009) 4 SCC 555
[2024] 2 S.C.R. 1201
Anil Kishore Pandit v. The State of Bihar and Others
“25. We are not disputing the fact that in the matter of
selection of candidates, opinion of the Selection Committee
should be final, but at the same time, the Selection
Committee cannot act arbitrarily and cannot change the
criteria/qualification in the selection process during its
midstream. Merajuddin Ahmad did not possess a degree
in Pure Chemistry and therefore, it was rightly held by
the High Court that he did not possess the minimum
qualification required for filling up the post of Lecturer in
Chemistry, for Pure Chemistry and Industrial Chemistry
are two different subjects.
xxx xxx xxx
27. The Selection Committee during the stage of selection,
which is midway could not have changed the essential
qualification laid down in the advertisement and at that
stage held that a Master’s degree-holder in Industrial
Chemistry would be better suited for manning the said
post without there being any specific advertisement in that
regard. The very fact that the University is now manning
the said post by having a person from the discipline of
Pure Chemistry also leads to the conclusion that the said
post at that stage when it was advertised was meant to be
filled up by a person belonging to Pure Chemistry stream.
11. Quoting the aforesaid decision in Zonal Manager, Bank of India,
Zonal Office, Kochi and Others v. Aarya K. Babu and Another7,
this Court made the following pertinent observations :
“14. If the above decision in Mohd. Sohrab Khan case
[Mohd. Sohrab Khan v. Aligarh Muslim University], is
kept in perspective it is clear that while examining the
correctness of the action of the employer what would be
sacrosanct will be the qualification criteria published in the
notification, since if any change made to the qualification
criteria midstream is accepted by the Court so as to benefit
only the petitioners before it, without making it open to
7 [2019] 11 SCR 627 : (2019) 8 SCC 587
1202 [2024] 2 S.C.R.
Digital Supreme Court Reports
all the qualified persons, it would amount to causing
injustice to the others who possess such qualification but
had not applied being honest to themselves as knowingly
they did not possess the qualification sought for in the
notification though they otherwise held another degree.
Therefore, if there is any change in qualification/criteria
after the notification is issued but before the completion
of the selection process and the employer/recruiting
agency seeks to adopt the change it will be incumbent
on the employer to issue a corrigendum incorporating the
changes to the notification and invite applications from
those qualified as per the changed criteria and consider
the same along with the applications received in response
to the initial notification. The same principle will hold good
when a consideration is made by the Court.”
12. Coming back to the case at hand, we are inclined to agree with the
submissions made by learned counsel for the appellant. In the first
instance, the respondents ought not to have issued a subsequent
communication after having issued a public advertisement fixing the
cut off date for reckoning the age of candidates, as on 01st January,
2011. The initial decision taken by the respondents was sought to
be overturned later on, merely on the basis of an internal discussion
within the department and it was decided that a fresh notice be
issued changing the date that was initially fixed as 01st January,
2011 to 1st November, 2011. This was done without following the due
process as prescribed, of issuing a pubic advertisement, etc. Nor
was the earlier advertisement recalled. In the meantime, going by the
earlier advertisement issued by the respondent, the appellant had
already applied. As per the said advertisement, his age was within
the permissible range. Not only that, he was high up in the selection
list and was even appointed to the post of Amin on 27th June, 2015.
13. Having regard to the aforesaid facts and circumstances of the case,
the impugned judgement is quashed and set aside. It is deemed
appropriate to set the clock back and uphold the earlier order passed
by the respondents appointing the appellant to the post of Amin
by reckoning the age of the candidates in the EBC category as 40
years, as on 01st January, 2011.
[2024] 2 S.C.R. 1203
Anil Kishore Pandit v. The State of Bihar and Others
14. The appointment of the appellant to the post of Amin is restored
w.e.f 27th June, 2015, the date of his initial appointment, without any
break in service. The appellant would be entitled to all the notional
benefits except for the actual wages, having not discharged his
duties on the said post in all these years. A letter reappointing the
appellant to the subject post shall be issued by the respondents on
the above terms within two weeks from today. The appointment of
the respondent No.8 cannot be sustained and stands revoked in the
light of the aforesaid orders.
15. The present appeal is allowed on the above terms.
Headnotes prepared by: Nidhi Jain Result of the case:
Appeal allowed.
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