The Rajasthan High Court at Jaipur on Thursday dismissed a nearly decade-old petition filed by a group of candidates seeking bonus marks in the Nurse Grade-II recruitment process. The petitioners had argued that their work experience under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) should have entitled them to additional marks in the selection.
Background
In 2013, the state’s Medical and Health Services Department had advertised vacancies for Nurse Grade-II, Public Health Nurse, and Women Health Worker posts. The rules allowed up to 30 bonus marks for candidates with prior government service experience in similar roles.
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Seven petitioners from Sawai Madhopur and nearby districts, represented by advocate Vijay Laxmi Gauttam, applied under this scheme. One of them, petitioner No. 5, Rajnish Gupta, produced a certificate showing he had worked as a “Vexinator” (a vaccination worker) in NRHM between October 2009 and February 2013. Based on this, he claimed eligibility for 20 bonus marks. Others, however, had not attached any certificates.
Court’s Observations
Justice Anand Sharma, after hearing both sides, noted that the crux of the dispute lay in whether the work of a Vexinator could be treated as “similar” to the duties of Nurse Grade-II.
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“The advertisement is clear,” the judge remarked. “Bonus marks can be awarded only for experience in work of a ‘similar nature’ to the advertised post.” He underlined that the roles of a Vexinator and a Nurse Grade-II were created under different service rules, carried different responsibilities, and could not be equated.
The State, represented by counsel Prakhar Jain, strongly opposed the plea. The government argued that accepting such claims would dilute recruitment standards. “If we treat every allied post as similar, the whole purpose of prescribing qualification criteria will collapse,” the counsel submitted.
The petitioners had also relied on a 2025 Division Bench ruling in State of Rajasthan vs. Upama Pareek, where bonus marks were allowed for certain government work. But the single bench found that case distinguishable, clarifying that similarity of work remained the deciding factor.
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Justice Sharma added a cautionary note: “This Court, while exercising writ jurisdiction, cannot engage in comparing job equivalence. No evidence has been produced to show that the duties of Nurse Grade-II and those of a Vexinator overlap.”
Decision
Concluding that the petitioners had failed to establish entitlement, the Court dismissed the writ petition. No relief was granted, and the recruitment authorities’ action of denying bonus marks was upheld.
“The writ petition is hereby dismissed,” the order read, bringing closure to a long-standing grievance of the aspirants.
Case: Surendra Kumar Gupta & Others vs. State of Rajasthan & Others (Rajasthan High Court, Jaipur Bench, 18 September 2025)
Case Number: S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 9205/2013
Petitioners: Surendra Kumar Gupta & six others (candidates for Nurse Grade-II recruitment)
Respondents: State of Rajasthan & Medical & Health Department authorities
Date of Judgment: 18 September 2025