IN THE HIGH COURT OF PUNJAB AND HARYANA AT CHANDIGARH (I) CWP-14576-2022 Reserved on: April 09, 2025 Pronounced on : July 08, 2025 VIJAY SHARMA -PETITIONER V/S THE STATE OF PUNJAB AND ORS.

-RESPONDENTS (II) CWP-13768-2022 GURBAKSHISH SINGH SANDHU -PETITIONER V/S THE PUNJAB STATE SCHEDULED CASTES COMMISSION AND ORS.

-RESPONDENTS CORAM: HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE KULDEEP TIWARI Present: Ms. Supriya Garg, Advocate for the petitioner (in CWP-14576-2022).

Mr. R.S. Khosla, Sr. Advocate with Mr. Aman Sharma, Advocate for the petitioner (in CWP-13768-2022).

Mr. Pardeep Bajaj, D.A.G., Punjab.

Mr. T.S. Chauhan, Advocate with Mr. Karanpreet Singh, Advocate and Mr. Som Nath, Advocate for the respondent No.3 (in both writ petitions).

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KULDEEP TIWARI, J.

1. Both these writ petitions are amenable for being decided through a common verdict, on account of theirs enveloping a common prayer and a common issue for adjudication. For the sake of brevity and convenience, the facts are being extracted from CWP-14576-2022.

2. The hereinafter extracted directions, as embodied in the order/ letter dated 31.05.2022 drawn by the Punjab State Commission for Scheduled Castes (hereinafter referred to as the ‘Commission’), ca