$~1 & 2 * IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI + W.P.(C) 7226/2023 & CM APPL. 28187/2023 DR MANU BANGA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rishabh Kapur and Mr. Tanmay Gupta, Advocates.

versus INDIRA GANDHI DELHI TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN & ANR. .....Respondents Through: Mrs. Avnish Ahlawat, SC for GNCTD Services with Mr. N.K. Singh, Ms. Aliza Alam and Mr. Mohnish Sehrawat, Advocates for R-

1.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pathak, SC with Mr. Sunil Kumar Jha and Mr. M.S.

Akhtar, Advocates for R-1, 2.

Mr. Rahat Bonsal and Mr. Dhruv Gupta, Advocates for R-2.

Prof. Brijesh Kumar, Registrar.

Mr. Abhik Chimni, Mr. Pranjal Abrol, Mr. Gurupal Singh, Mr. Ayan Dasgupta and Ms. Moksha Sharma, Advocates for R-2 & 3.

+ W.P.(C) 4224/2024 DR. MANU BANGA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Rishabh Kapur and Mr. Tanmay Gupta, Advocates.

versus INDIRA GANDHI DELHI TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY FOR WOMEN .....Respondent Through: Mrs. Avnish Ahlawat, SC for GNCTD Services with Mr. N.K. Singh, Ms. Aliza Alam and Mr. Mohnish Sehrawat, Advocates for R-

1.

Mr. Sanjay Kumar Pathak, SC with Mr. Sunil Kumar Jha and Mr. M.S.

Akhtar, Advocates for R-1, 2.

Mr. Rahat Bonsal and Mr. Dhruv Gupta, Advocates for R-2.

Prof. Brijesh Kumar, Registrar.

Mr. Abhik Chimni, Mr. Pranjal Abrol, Mr. Gurupal Singh, Mr. Ayan Dasgupta and Ms. Moksha Sharma, Advocates for R-2 & 3.

CORAM:

HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE SANJEEV NARULA

O R D E R

% 19.02.2026

1. The Petitioner, a person with benchmark disability, participated in two recruitment exercises conducted by Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women for appointment to the post of Assistant Professor in two disciplines, Information Technology and Computer Science and Engineering. The challenge in W.P.(C) 7226/2023 relates to the recruitment advertisement dated 10^th September, 2021, “Advertisement of 2021”. The challenge in W.P.(C) 4224/2024 arises from the recruitment advertisement dated 27^th February, 2023²

2. In the 2021 recruitment process, the Petitioner applied for Information Technology and in the 2023 recruitment process, the Petitioner applied for both Information Technology and Computer Science and Engineering. The Petitioner remained unsuccessful on both occasions. Under the Advertisement of 2021, the candidate selected was Respondent No. 2 (Dr

Himanshu Mittal), who has since resigned. That resignation is not in dispute. Under the Advertisement of 2023, the selected candidates are Respondents No. 2 and 3. In that background, the dispute concerning the Advertisement of 2021 appears to have lost practical significance, particularly after a fresh recruitment has been conducted under the Advertisement of 2023 in which the Petitioner again participated, and appointments have been made.

3. The central grievance in both petitions concerns the manner in which the Respondent University conducted the selection, which the Petitioner alleges violates the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, “RPwD Act” and is further vitiated on account of an opaque revision or application of selection criteria.

The relevant facts

4. The Petitioner asserts he has a locomotive benchmark disability and has been certified with 79% permanent disability in the right upper limb. The Petitioner relies upon academic qualifications, including a Ph.D., and qualifications such as GATE and UGC NET. He also asserts prior teaching experience as an Assistant Professor at University level and relies upon publications, authored books, and registered patents.

5. The status of the Petitioner as a PwBD candidate is not in dispute. It is also common ground that reservation for persons with benchmark disabilities is required to be provided in terms of the applicable statutory framework.

6. Under the Advertisement of 2023, the recruitment process comprised three stages. First, an initial written examination of qualifying character.

2 “Advertisement of 2023”

Thereafter, eligible candidates were assessed through a classroom presentation and evaluation of domain knowledge, followed by an interview. 7. The vacanci