Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court has directed the authorities to reconsider the revised provisional and final selection lists for Assistant Engineer Grade-1 posts in Rural Drinking Water and Sanitation Department, to the extent that they were affected by a change in the cadre-allocation procedure introduced through a February 1, 2023, circular.
Several candidates affected by the change had approached the tribunal, which ruled in their favour.
Those supporting the circular subsequently challenged the tribunal’s decision before the High Court.
Because it did not alter eligibility conditions, the examination pattern or candidates’ marks, the court also rejected the argument that the circular was valid simply. The sequence in which candidates are considered for different cadres, the allocation of vacancies and the effect of options exercised under the original procedure are also relevant, the bench noted. The reconsideration must be restricted to cadre allocation and the resulting selection lists. Candidates’ eligibility and marks already secured cannot be reopened, the court clarified.