Madras High Court Upholds SBI’s Cancellation of Appointment Over Poor CIBIL Scores

The Madras High Court upheld State Bank of India’s decision to cancel a candidate’s appointment due to poor CIBIL history, emphasising that financial discipline is critical in banking roles involving public funds.

Justice N. Mala held that SBI's eligibility clause, disqualifying candidates with adverse credit records under Clause 1(E), was reasonable. The petitioner, selected as a circle-based officer (CBO), had nine irregular credit facilities and multiple defaults.

Citing Article 14 and rejecting discrimination claims, the Court emphasised that only applicants with clean credit histories were appointed, upholding SBI’s prudent decision. (P Karthikeyan v. The General Manager and Others)