Case Note & Summary
The petitioner, Nitin Mahavir Sharma, applied for the post of Technician Grade III with the Maharashtra State Power Generation Company Limited. The original last date for submission of applications was 10.09.2014, but the result of a mandatory Trade Test was declared only on that day. The respondent extended the last date to 20.09.2014 for certain in-house trainees, but due to a technical glitch, the extended date was displayed on the online portal for all candidates. The petitioner submitted his application on 20.09.2014 and was allowed to participate in the selection process. However, his candidature was later rejected on the ground that his application was belated. The petitioner filed a writ petition seeking a direction to consider his candidature. The court noted that the respondent had extended the last date for in-house trainees, but the recruitment agency failed to publish the complete text online, leading to the petitioner's mistaken belief that the extended date applied to him. The court held that the petitioner cannot be penalized for the respondent's mistake and directed the respondent to consider his candidature for the one vacant post of Technician Grade III in the OBC category, which was kept vacant as per an earlier court order. The petition was allowed with no order as to costs.
Headnote
A) Recruitment - Extension of Last Date - Technical Glitch - The respondent extended the last date for submission of applications only for in-house trainees, but due to a technical error, the extended date was displayed on the portal for all candidates. The petitioner, relying on this display, submitted his application on the extended date. Held that the petitioner cannot be penalized for the respondent's mistake, and his candidature must be considered (Paras 2-5).
Issue of Consideration
Whether the petitioner's candidature for the post of Technician Grade III should be rejected solely on the ground that his online application was submitted on the extended last date, when the extension was not applicable to him but was displayed on the recruitment portal due to a technical error.
Final Decision
The petition is allowed. The respondent is directed to consider the petitioner's candidature for the post of Technician Grade III in the OBC category against the vacant post kept as per the order dated 04.12.2015. Rule is made absolute. No order as to costs.
Law Points
- Equity
- Estoppel
- Administrative Law
- Recruitment
- Extension of Last Date
- Online Application
- Technical Glitch
