Candidates in public employment selection processes must strictly adhere to notified schedules; qualifying a preliminary exam does not grant a vested right to later stages if mandatory procedural requirements, such as document verification dates, are ignored without timely and sufficient justification.

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NAMIT KUMAR, J. (ORAL)

1. The petitioner has filed the instant petition under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, seeking issuance of a writ of certiorari for quashing the impugned speaking order dated 01.01.2026 (Annexure P-12) passed by the Director, Education Recruitment Directorate, Department of School Education, Punjab, whereby the representation dated 28.11.2025 submitted by the petitioner has been rejected. Further, seeking issuance of a writ of mandamus, directing the respondents to permit the petitioner to appear before the Scrutiny Committee to consider his candidature under EWS Category for the post of Master Cadre (English).

2. Brief facts of the case, as have been stated in the petition, are that the respondents issued an Advertisement dated 06.04.2021 (Annexure P-1) inviting online applications for 899 posts under the Master Cadre (English-Border Area). Being fully eligible, the petitioner submitted his online application form on 10.05.2021 (Annexure P-2) for the abovesaid post under EWS Category and subsequently, appeared in the written examination. The result of the written examination was declared in the year 2021, wherein the petitioner secured 124 marks and was placed within the merit list of the EWS Category. Thereafter, the respondent-department, vide Public Notice dated 29.07.2025 (Annexure P-8), called the EWS Category candidates securing 125-121 marks for counseling/document verification on 04.08.2025. The respondent-department, vide second Public Notice dated 06.08.2025 (Annexure P-9), granted one more opportunity to the candidates with pending or incomplete documents to appear on 11.08.2025 for scrutiny. After that, vide Public Notice dated 24.11.2025 (Annexure P-10), candidates belonging to the EWS cateogry, securing 120-114 marks, were called for counselling/document verification on 28.11.2025. It has further been pleaded that on account of sudden medical complications, the petitioner was examined at Medicare Hospital, Sri Muktsar Sahib, where he was advised complete bed rest from 02.08.2025 to 15.08.2025, with strict prohibition on travel or any physical exertion. Consequently, the petitioner could not appear before the respondent-department for verification of his documents on 04.08.2025 and 11.08.2025. Thereafter, the petitioner submitted a representation dated 28.11.2025 (Annexure P-6) to the respondent-department requesting to call him to attend the scrutiny process under EWS category for the post of Master Cadre (English) but to no avil. Thereafter, the petitioner approached this Court by filing CWP-37115-2025 (Sanjeev Kumar Vs. State of Punjab and others) seeking issuance of directions to the respondents to permit the petitioner to appear before the Scrutiny Committee under the EWS category for the post of Master Cadre (English). The said petition was disposed of by this Court, vide order dated 12.12.2025 with a direction to the respondents to consider and decide the representation dated 28.11.2025, submitted by the petitioner, within a period of 01 month from the date of receipt of certified copy of the order. Pursuant to the said order, the respondent-department has passed the impugned order dated 01.01.2026 (Annexure P-12), rejecting the claim of the petitioner. Hence, the insta