IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH CWP-21433-2023 Reserved on: 10.12.2025 Pronounced on:12.12.2025 Karanbir Singh Deyea …Petitioner Versus State of Punjab and others …Respondents CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE JAGMOHAN BANSAL Present: - Mr. Sanjeev Sharma, Senior Advocate with Mr. Vikram Vir Sharda, Advocate for the petitioner Mr. Aman Dhir, Deputy Advocate General, Punjab ***

JAGMOHAN BANSAL, J

1. The petitioner through instant petition under Articles 226/227 of the Constitution of India is seeking setting aside of provisional merit list dated 25.05.2023 for the post of Sub-Inspector in the Technical and Support Services Cadre qua Open Source Intelligence (‘OSINT’) specialization advertised vide advertisement No.7 of 2021 dated 09.09.2021.

2. The State of Punjab vide Advertisement No.07 of 2021 dated 09.09.2021 invited applications for 267 posts of Sub-Inspectors (Group C) in Technical and Support Services Cadre. In the advertisement, four domains were specified which were sub-divided into three groups and an applicant could apply for maximum one domain and three specializations/functions. The petitioner applied in the specialization of OSINT Analysis in Group-1. Pursuant to recruitment process having been conducted, result was declared on 25.05.2023, however, name of the petitioner did not figure in the list of successful candidates.

3. Learned Senior counsel for the petitioner submits that petitioner pursuant to Advertisement No.7 of 2021 dated 09.09.2021 applied for the post of Sub-Inspector under Reserved Category i.e. SC (R&O). He applied against Information Technology Domain and OSINT specialization. He scored 68.142 marks. There were 15 posts under aforesaid specialization. The respondent has recruited 14 Ex-Servicemen candidates. One seat is still lying vacant. He has been denied post on the ground that he did not possess certificate of minimum one year diploma/course in OSINT/related platform. The petitioner is having diploma in computer applications. Lovely Professional University (‘LPU’) vide communication dated 06.12.2022 has confirmed that diploma possessed by the petitioner is equal to OSINT specialization. It has further certified that diploma in computer applications of LPU-Distance Education can be considered to be mapped with the corresponding programmes under OSINT Analysis domain. The last selected candidate under OSINT Analysis domain had secured 22.03 marks whereas petitioner’s marks are 68.142. The mechanism of inter-domain and specialization utilization of post was not disclosed in the advertisement.

4. Arguments of learned senior counsel for the petitioner are: -

i. The respondent has rejected petitioner’s claim on the ground that he is not possessing one year diploma in OSINT/related platform. He has obtained certificate from LPU which confirms that he is possessing one year diploma in related platform. As per information obtained under Right to Information Act, 2005, there is no college/university which is organizing one year diploma/course in OSINT. Hon’ble Supreme Court in Laxmikant Sharma v. State of Madhya Pradesh and others, 2025 SCC OnLine SC 2712 has recently held that nomenclature of the degree/course cannot be basis to reject claim of the candidate. The curriculum must be considered.

ii. There were 15 posts ear-marked for OSINT specialization and respondent has selected 14 candidates, thus, one seat is still lying vacant and petitioner being eligible may be accommodated.

iii. As per advertisement, a candidate could apply for one domain and three specializations. No candidate could be selected in a domain other than applied for. The respondent is wrongly claiming adjustment/selection of candidates in domain other than applied for. Stand of the petitioner is vindicated by Clause 9.3.3 of the advertisement.

iv. The respondent made a convoluted mechanism to determine merit of candidates under different domains and specializations. The said mechanism could not be used to deny benefit to