SC upholds ruling nixing Haryana extra-marks order

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NEW DELHI:

Supreme Court

on Monday upheld the high court order for quashing of Haryana govt’s decision to grant 5% additional marks to

state domiciles

in recruitment to certain posts based on “socio-economic” criteria, calling it a populist measure.
It also directed that fresh examinations, which were conducted last year, be conducted for jobs to Group C and D employees.
A bench of justices A S Oka and Rajesh Bindal rejected a plea of the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (SSC) challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court verdict quashing a state notification granting additional marks to domiciles of Haryana in the recruitment process during the Common Entrance Test of 2023 (CET 2023). The court also directed that fresh tests be conducted.

Appearing for the commission, AG R Venkataramani pleaded the Supreme Court that there was no need to hold fresh examinations and results could be declared after doing away with additional marks granted to state residents. But the bench said that HC had given reasons to hold re-test and there was no error in the verdict.
Under this “socio-economic” criteria, additional weightage was granted by the Haryana govt to domiciles of Haryana on fulfilment of certain conditions, including that none of the applicant’s family members was a regular govt employee and the gross annual income of the family from all sources was less than Rs 1.8 lakh.