Punjab And Haryana HC Says Reserved Candidate Availing Screening Relaxation Cannot Claim Unreserved Seat

The Punjab and Haryana High Court held that a reserved category candidate who avails relaxation at the screening stage of a recruitment process cannot later seek adjustment against an unreserved vacancy.

The Court observed that relaxation at the preliminary stage confers a tangible advantage, as it enables the candidate to advance to subsequent stages.

It rejected the argument that screening marks are irrelevant merely because they are not carried forward to the final merit list.

The ruling came while dismissing a plea challenging the selection process for Assistant Environmental Engineer posts in Haryana.