New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ruled that belonging to a backward community cannot be a deciding factor in government employment, emphasizing the need for a fair and level playing field for all aspirants.
A bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma held that public employment cannot be dispensed based on considerations of sympathy or social background, and that grace, charity, or compassion should stay at a distance in such matters.
The court's observations came while allowing an appeal filed by the Delhi Police against orders of the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) and the Delhi High Court directing it to give a second opportunity to a candidate who had failed to appear for a crucial stage of the recruitment process.
The case concerned a candidate who had cleared the initial stage of recruitment for the post of constable but did not appear for the Physical Endurance and Measurement Test (PE&MT), citing illness in January 2024.
Despite this, the CAT directed the Delhi Police to allow him to take the test with a subsequent batch -- a decision later upheld by the Delhi HC in September 2025.
The Supreme Court, however, found the approach untenable, describing the case as a 'classic example' of irresponsibility and noting that the candidate had 'frittered away a golden opportunity' by choosing not to appear on the scheduled date.
The court emphasized that recruitment processes, especially those involving large-scale public employment, must adhere strictly to notified conditions.
The Supreme Court held that the candidate had no enforceable right to seek rescheduling of the test and that the failure of authorities to respond to his representations did not justify judicial intervention that effectively altered the recruitment process.
