Supreme Court Upholds Rajasthan HC’s Stance on Validity of OBC-NCL Certificates for Judicial Recruitment
The Supreme Court dismissed appeals challenging Rajasthan High Court’s rejection of OBC-NCL candidates for Civil Judge posts due to invalid caste certificates. The Court ruled that non-creamy layer certificates issued before August 31, 2021 (application deadline) were mandatory, as per Rajasthan government circulars limiting validity to one year (extendable to three with affidavits). The bench emphasized that recruitment rules implicitly adopt state-mandated certificate validity periods even when advertisements are silent. The judgment reinforces that reservation benefits require current certification of backward status, distinguishing OBC-NCL’s dynamic socio-economic criteria from permanent SC/ST classifications.
SAKSHI ARHA
VERSUS
THE RAJASTHAN HIGH COURT & ORS