The courtroom was packed as the Supreme Court took up a sensitive question that has troubled thousands of job aspirants across Rajasthan: can a candidate from a reserved category, who scores better than general candidates, still be denied a chance in the open category?
On the face of it, the issue looked technical. But as the hearing unfolded, it became clear that the dispute went to the heart of equality in public employment. The case arose from a recruitment drive conducted by the Rajasthan High Court for clerical posts, where many candidates felt merit had taken a back seat.
By the end of the hearing, the Supreme Court delivered a clear message - merit cannot be sacrificed behind rigid category walls.
Background of the Case
In August 2022, the Rajasthan High Court issued a recruitment notification for over 2,700 posts of Junior Judicial Assistant and Clerk Grade-II across district courts and allied institutions.
The selection process had two stages:
- A written examination, and
- A computer-based typewriting test.
Candidates were shortlisted for the second stage at five times the number of vacancies, category-wise. The trouble began when results of the written test were declared in May 2023.
Several candidates from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe, OBC and EWS categories had scored more marks than the general category cut-off, yet they were excluded from the list for the typewriting test. The reason: they did not meet the higher cut-off fixed for their own reserved categories.
Feeling wronged, these candidates approached the Rajasthan High Court, arguing that the open category had been treated like a closed compartment reserved only for general candidates.
The High Court agreed with them and ordered a reworking of the lists. The Rajasthan High Court administration then challenged that order before the Supreme Court.
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Court’s Observations
A Bench led by Justice Dipankar Datta examined whether merit-based candidates from reserved categories could be blocked at the shortlisting stage itself.
The Court noted that the open or general category is not a quota. It is meant to be open to everyone, irrespective of caste or class, provided they qualify on merit.
“The bench observed that excluding a more meritorious candidate solely because of their category strikes at the core of equality under Articles 14 and 16,” the judgment records.
The judges rejected the argument that allowing such candidates into the open category would give them a “double benefit.” According to the Court, a candidate who clears a stage purely on merit, without taking any relaxation, is not availing reservation at all.
The Court was particularly critical of the method adopted by the recruiters, pointing out that in several categories, the reserved cut-offs were actually higher than the general cut-off - a clear sign that merit was being ignored in the open list.
The Bench also dismissed the argument that candidates were barred from challenging the process simply because they had participated in it. If a constitutional violation becomes visible only after results are declared, the Court said, such a challenge cannot be shut out.
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Decision
Upholding the Rajasthan High Court’s ruling, the Supreme Court dismissed the appeals filed by the High Court administration.
The Court confirmed that:
- The open category list must first be prepared strictly on merit.
- Reserved category candidates who score above the general cut-off, without taking any relaxation, must be included in that list.
- Only after that should category-wise reserved lists be drawn.
- Candidates wrongly excluded earlier must be allowed to appear in the typewriting test, and merit lists must be redrawn accordingly.
With this, the Supreme Court brought the long-running dispute to a close, reaffirming that in public employment, merit cannot be fenced in by labels.
Case Title: Rajasthan High Court & Anr. vs. Rajat Yadav & Ors.
Case No.: Civil Appeal No. 14112 of 2024 (with Civil Appeal Nos. 3957–4009 of 2025)
Case Type: Civil Appeal (Service / Recruitment Matter)
Coram: Justice Dipankar Datta
Decision Date: 2025
