In technology-driven public recruitment, where candidates are granted specific windows to rectify application errors, failure to avail these opportunities precludes later requests for category modification, as such actions disrupt administrative processes and violate the finality of the selection schedule.

Order

1. This writ petition has been filed by the petitioner with the following reliefs:-

“A. By an appropriate writ order or direction, any order denying the candidature of the petitioner for the post of Class-IV Employee in pursuance of the advertisement dated 12.12.2024 (Annex-3) for Non-TSP Area against the category of General Widow may kindly be quashed and set aside.

B. By an appropriate writ order or direction, the respondents may kindly be directed to consider the actual category of the petitioner i.e. General Widow instead of OBC Widow and permit the petitioner in the further selection process for the post of Class-IV Employee in pursuance of the advertisement dated 12.12.2024 for Non-TSP Area.

C. By an appropriate writ, order or direction, the respondents may kindly be directed to afford appointment to the petitioner on the post of Class-IV Employee as per her marks in of pursuance the advertisement 12.12.2024 for Non-TSP Area against the category of General Widow with all consequential benefits.

D. By an appropriate writ, order or direction, the respondents may kindly be directed to not to deny the selection and appointment and not to reject the candidature of the petitioner on the ground of filling of wrong category i.e. OBC Widow instead of General Widow.

E. Any other appropriate writ, order or direction which this Hon'ble Court may deem just and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case may kindly be passed in favour of the petitioner.”

2. Brief facts of the case are that the petitioner is a permanent resident of the State of Rajasthan, possessing the requisite educational qualifications of Secondary and Senior Secondary, and belongs to the General category. She is a widow, her husband having expired on 03.02.2018. In pursuance of an advertisement dated 12.12.2024 issued by the respondent Board for recruitment to the post of Class-IV Employee, the petitioner submitted her online application form on 12.04.2025 under the Widow category; however, on account of an inadvertent error, her category was recorded as “OBC” instead of “General.” The said discrepancy continued in the admit card issued for the examination held on 20.09.2025, despite the petitioner having approached the respondents for correction prior to the examination. The petitioner appeared in the said examination and, upon declaration of the result on 16.01.2026, secured 72.9512 wherein the cut off marks for the “OBC Widow” was mentioned i. e. 0.0033 and cut off marks of “general Widow” was mentioned i.e. 32.6964 marks after normalization; however, her category was still reflected as “OBC Widow” in the result and merit list. The petitioner thereafter submitted a representation seeking correction of her category , but no decision has been taken thereon by the respondents, leading to the filing of the present writ petition.

3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that at the time of filling the application form, the petitioner’s category was inadvertently entered as “OBC” instead of “General”, the petitioner requested the respondents to permit her to make the necessary correction in the application form. He further submits that the petitioner became aware of the said inadvertent error only when the respondents published the merit-wise list of candidates, wherein her category was reflected as “OBC Widow.” The Learned Counsel for the petitioners also submits that the petitioner has not caused any delay and promptly approached the respondents seeking rectification of the