Candidates must benefit from height rounding rules during Physical Standard Tests to ensure fair opportunity for advancement in recruitment processes.

JUDGMENT :

KARDAK ETE, J.

Heard Mr. P. N. Goswami, learned counsel for the petitioners in WP(C) No. 6436/2025, WP(C) No. 5865/2025 & WP(C) No. 5906/2025; and Mr. H. R. Ahmed, learned counsel for the petitioner in WP(C) No. 6293/2025 & WP(C) No. 6441/2025. Also heard Mr. S. S. Roy and Ms. S. Baruah, learned Central Government Counsels for the respondents.

2. Challenge made in these writ petitions is to the rejection orders dated 29.08.2025, 30.08.2025, 23.09.2025, 27.10.2025, 29.10.2025, whereby the respondent authorities have disqualified the candidatures of the petitioners in the Physical Standard Test (PST) being below 165 cm required for the candidates belonging to the State of Assam, pursuant to the advertisement dated 05.09.2024, issued by the Staff Selection Commission for recruitment to the post to Constable (General Duty) in Central Armed Police Force (CAPFs), SSE, Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles and Sepoy in Narcotics Control Bureau. The petitioners have prayed for a direction to allow them to participate in the subsequent stages of the recruitment process by treating them as qualified with regards to the height by rounding off fraction of centimeter in the light of the Office Memorandum dated 20.05.2015, particularly Clause 2(d).

3. Having considered that the issue involved in these writ petitions is similar on facts and law, same are taken up analogously and disposed of by this common judgment and order.

4. The brief fact of the case is that pursuant to an advertisement dated 05.09.2024, issued by the Staff Selection Commission, for filling up of 39481 posts of Constable (General Duty) in Central Armed Police Force (CAPFs), SSE, Rifleman (GD) in Assam Rifles and Sepoy in Narcotics Control Bureau, the petitioners have applied for the post as per their respective order of preference. The said selection process consisted of Computer Based Examination (CBE), Physical Efficiency Test (PET), Physical Standard Test (PST) and Medical Examination. The petitioners have successfully cleared the CBE, PET and thereafter participated in the PST, wherein they were disqualified on the ground that their height fell short of the prescribed requirement of 165 cm, as reflected in the rejection orders dated 29.08.2025, 30.08.2025, 23.09.2025, 27.10.2025 and 29.10.2025. It is the case of the petitioners that when they participated in the earlier PST rally conducted by the respondent authorities, they were found qualified having been measured at 165 CMS or above; however, in the present PST conducted pursuant to the advertisement dated 05.09.2024, their heights were recorded as below 165 cm, as shown below:

5. The petitioners contend that as per Clause 2(d) of the Office Memorandum dated 20.05.2015, while measuring height, fraction of cm less than 0.5 will be ignored and 0.5 cm & more will be rounded off to the next higher cm. However, the respondents/PST Board, in most illegal and arbitrary manner, have rejected the candidature of the petitioners in contravention of the said Clause 2(d) of the Office Memorandum dated 20.05.2015, despite they being qualified having requisite height of above 164.5 cm, which ought to have been rounded off to 165 cm. Hence, these writ petitions.

6. Mr. P. N. Goswami and Mr. H. R. Ahmed, learned counsel for the petitioners, while referring to the Office Memorandum dated 20.05.2015, which lays down the general instructions for Recruitment Board, particularly Clause 2(d), submits that while measuring height, any fraction of centimetre less than 0.5 cm is to be ignored and 0.5 cm or