Case Note & Summary
The dispute arose from appeals filed by the Union of India against the Delhi High Court's orders regarding the allocation of jobs to candidates from the Other Backward Class (OBC) category in the Civil Services Examination. The respondents, who were OBC candidates, were aggrieved by the denial of jobs despite the recommendation of 174 candidates for 174 vacancies in the OBC category. The Union of India contended that due to the limited number of vacancies, some candidates could not be allocated jobs, while the respondents argued that the rules mandated that candidates not allotted their preferred posts should be assigned to remaining vacancies. The court analyzed the relevant provisions of the Civil Services Examination Rules, 1996, particularly Rule 2 and Rule 16, and referenced previous judgments, including Indra Sawhney v. Union of India and R.K. Sabharwal v. State of Punjab, to clarify that candidates selected on merit should not be counted against the reserved category quotas. The court concluded that the preference exercised by OBC candidates who were selected on merit does not exhaust the reserved vacancies, and directed the Union of India to allocate jobs to the respondents within one month. The appeals were dismissed with costs of Rs. 10,000 for each respondent.
Headnote
A) Constitutional Law - Reservation in Employment - Allocation of Jobs to OBC Candidates - Civil Services Examination Rules, 1996, Rule 2 and Rule 16 - The court held that OBC candidates selected on merit do not exhaust the reserved quota for OBC candidates, and they can opt for preferences from the reserved category without affecting the overall reservation percentage. The court emphasized that the rules must be followed strictly, and the preference from the reserved category does not deplete the reserved vacancies (Paras 6-7).
Issue of Consideration
Whether OBC candidates selected on merit can be considered for placement under the reserved category, thereby exhausting the quota reserved for relaxed OBC candidates.
Final Decision
The Supreme Court dismissed the appeals filed by the Union of India, affirming the High Court's orders and directing the Union to allocate jobs to the respondents within one month.
Law Points
- Reservation in employment
- OBC category
- merit list allocation
- Civil Services Examination Rules
- 1996
- constitutional provisions
