ANEESH M. Vs. UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

JUDGEMENT

(1.) AS the issue involved in both these writ petitions are the same, they are taken up together for consideration and disposed by this common judgment. For the sake of convenience, reference to facts and exhibits is from W.P. (C). No. 18371/2015.

(2.) THE petitioners are persons who responded to the Army Recruitment Notification published in November, 2014. As part of the scheme of recruitment, the petitioners were required to subject themselves to a screening process, which, inter alia, comprised of four stages, namely, (i) physical measurement, (ii) physical fitness test, (iii) medical examination and (iv) written examination. After that, a merit list would be prepared and thereafter, the selected candidates enrolled and dispatched in the order of merit to various Centres. The issue involved in the instant case pertains to the screening of candidates for the physical measurement, physical fitness test, medical examination and written examination. It is the case of the petitioners that, while at each stage, there was a biometric verification that was conducted, and the petitioners had undergone the said verification at the stage of physical measurement, physical fitness test and medical examination, when they presented themselves at the venue of the written examination, they were not permitted to write the examination on account of their not clearing the biometric verification at the venue of the written examination. It is for this reason, and when efforts to convince the respondents with regard to a possibility of there being a failure in the system did not yield any positive response, that they have approached this Court through the present writ petition seeking, inter alia, a direction to the respondents to permit the petitioners to appear at the next written examination that is to be held in connection with the recruitment.

(3.) A statement has been filed on behalf of respondents 1 and 2, wherein, the procedure for biometric evaluation is detailed. In paragraph 5 of the statement, the procedure for recruitment is enumerated as follows: