PRATAP DAS Vs. UNION OF INDIA

JUDGEMENT

(1.) The petitioners applied in the year 2012 for the posts of constable and rifleman in the Central Armed Police Forces and the Assam Rifles. The petitioners question the basis for excluding the petitioners by considering the petitioners' cases on a regional or Statewise basis and not on the national basis. The petitioners say that it is possible that a candidate from Chhattisgarh may obtain lower marks than the petitioners in the same test taken by the petitioners and such other candidate, but the other candidate may get appointed and the petitioners may not since every candidature is considered with reference to the marks obtained by applicants in a particular State.

(2.) The further grievance of the petitioners is that the respondent authorities have confused the expression "cut-off marks" with the expression "lowest marks obtained by any successful candidate".

(3.) Advertisements were invited for posts in six several wings of the central armed police forces. Each applicant was advised to indicate his preference. The first petitioner indicated his order of preference among the six wings and the second petitioner indicated three of them as being his preferred units.