IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA

AT CHANDIGARH

Date of Decision : 07.01.2026

Deepak Khatri and others …Petitioners

Versus

State of Haryana and another ...Respondents

CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE KULDEEP TIWARI

Present: Mr. Ravinder Singh Dhull, Advocate

for the petitioners

(through video-conferencing).

Mr. Kapil Bansal, DAG, Haryana.

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KULDEEP TIWARI, J.(ORAL)

1. The Coordinate Bench of this Court, vide order dated 05.01.2026,

had passed the hereinafter extracted order, upon the instant petition :-

“Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that vide advertisement dated 05.12.2025 (Annexure P-4), 450 posts of Medical Officers, Group-A (HCMS-I) have been advertised. As per clause 6(ii) of the said advertisement, one of the essential qualifications is “Permanent Registered as Medical Practitioner with National Medical Commission (erstwhile Medical Council of India) or any such other State Medical Council in India Union”. The eligibility of the candidates is to be determined on the closing date fixed for submission of online application forms, i.e. 07.01.2026. It is further submitted that the academic session of the petitioners was impacted owing to Covid 19 pandemic. The course, that was scheduled to commence w.e.f. May 2020 could start only in December 2020, and as such, all the timelines for completion of the

course were resultantly pushed further. The petitioners have successfully completed their MBBS examination and have been granted provisional registration certification, which is valid upto 04.03.2026. Keeping in view the cascading effect on account of Covid 19 pandemic, the Health Department, Haryana, in the earlier recruitment drive conducted in the year 2022 had, thus, granted the concession to such affected doctors, who were undergoing mandatory internship, by permitting submission of the permanent registration certificate by mid April 2022, i.e. much after the closing date for submission of online applications. It is further submitted that the batch of the petitioners is the last to be affected by Covid 19 pandemic and seeking a similar concession, as granted in the recent past, representations (Annexure P-6) by 156 students of MBBS batch 2022 across Haryana had been made but no decision has been taken by the Government so far. Since the last date for submission of online applications, i.e. 07.01.2026, is approaching fast, the petitioners are before this Court by way of the present petition.

Notice of motion.

On an advance copy having been served upon the respondents, Mr. Aman Mittal, Deputy Advocate General, Haryana, accepts notice on behalf of the respondents and waives service. He seeks one day’s accommodation to have instructions as to whether any decision has been taken on the representations (Annexure P-6) and whether the department concerned proposes to extend the same benefit as was extended vide Annexure P-7 to the candidates in the year 2022, who were similarly impacted by Covid 19 pandemic.

On his request, list again on 06.01.2026.

To be shown in the urgent list.”

2. In pursuance of the directions (supra), issued by the Coordinate Bench of this Court, learned counsel for the State, on instruction imparted to him from Mr. Gaurav Sharma, Superintendent Grade-II, Director General, Health Services, Department of Health, Panchkula, apprises this Court, that they are in the process of considering to extend the date of online submission of applications, as well as, to grant the relief of relaxation in view of the earlier decision as taken on 03.02.2022.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioners submits that in view of the undertaking given by the learned counsel for the State, as on date, the grievance of the petitioners does not survive anymore, and therefore, he does not wish to press the instant petition, at this stage.

4. Consequently, the instant petition is dismissed as withdrawn being not pressed. However, liberty is reserved to the petitioners to re-access this Court, in case, the above said undertaking as given by the l