CHENNAI: Holding that a candidate who failed to secure the qualifying marks cannot claim the selection process was vitiated or demand filling of all notified vacancies even though there are no adequately eligible candidates, the Madras High Court has dismissed a petition filed by an ex-serviceman challenging the recruitment of security guards for the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Justice T Vinod Kumar made the observation while dismissing the petition filed by P Manimuthupandi, who sought to quash the selection list released on May 28, 2019, and to direct the authorities to include his name and appoint him as a security guard.
The matter pertains to a 2018 recruitment notification issued to fill 19 security guard vacancies in the Chennai region. The petitioner said he had appeared for the written examination, medical tests and certificate verification but was not selected. He contended that although 19 candidates were called for certificate verification, only 10 were appointed, and sought directions to fill all the notified vacancies by including his name in the selection list.
However, advocate Chevanan Mohan, representing the RBI, submitted that the selection was carried out strictly adhering to the eligibility criteria, including qualifying marks, and that only 10 candidates met the requirements. He said the petitioner had failed to secure the qualifying marks. The judge said the court is of the view that the selection process has been carried out in a transparent manner. Those who had secured higher marks than the petitioner were appointed to the post. He cannot claim the selection process was being vitiated or press for the respondents to fill all the notified vacancies even though there were no eligible candidates who had qualified in the examination, the court said.