C. NGOUBANGSOMBA Vs. STATE OF NAGALAND

JUDGEMENT

(1.) This intra-court appeal is preferred to assail a Judgment and Order dt. 21/9/2023 passed by a learned Single Judge in a writ petition, W.P. [C] no. 171[K]/2018. In the writ petition, the writ appellant was arraigned as respondent no. 35. The respondent no. 17 herein was the writ petitioner in the writ petition, W.P.[C] no. 171[K]/2018.

(2.) The genesis of the lis is traceable to an advertisement, Advertisement no. 1 dtd. 11/7/2016 published by the Deputy Commissioner, Tuensang, Nagaland [the respondent no. 4], whereby, applications were invited from indigenous inhabitants of Tuensang district for filling up of nos. of vacancies in different categories of posts under his establishment. The Advertisement was made for filling up of a total 88 nos. of vacancies. Out of 88 nos. of vacancies, 37 nos. of vacancies were meant for the post of Dobashi Grade-II. The issue involved in the writ petition as well as in this writ appeal was/is the process of recruitment initiated by the said Advertisement for filling up 37 nos. of vacancies in the post of Dobashi Grade-II. As per the Advertisement, the candidates for the post of Dobashi Grade-II should be conversant with Naga customary laws and practices. The age-limit criteria was also mentioned in the Advertisement. The Advertisement further mentioned that all vacancies would be filled up on 50:50 basis between in-service candidates i.e. Contingent/Ad hoc/Contract/Fixed pay employees, etc. on one hand and fresh candidates on the other hand.

(3.) In response to the Advertisement, the writ appellant, the respondent no. 17-writ petitioner and other candidates submitted their candidatures. On 30/9/2016, the respondent no. 4 issued an Order, pursuant to approval of the Government, constituting Screening Committees to conduct screening of the applications. The Screening Committees were constituted as District Level Recruitment Board for conducting the screening for all the categories of posts advertised vide the Advertisement under reference. By the Order dtd. 30/9/2016, the respondent no. 4 constituted four nos. of Screening Committees, one for the District Headquarter and other three for three different sub-divisions of Tuensang district, for the post of Dobashi Grade-II. The composition of the Screening Committees were also notified by the Order dtd. 30/9/2016. The Order further mentioned that the Screening Committee would screen out the candidates in the ratio 1:7 for final interview.