The Gauhati High Court has set aside the selection of 14 District Malaria Officers made by the Assam Public Service Commission in 2016.
The decision came from a division bench comprising Chief Justice Vijay Bishnoi and Justice N Unni Krishnan Nair, who noted that 8 years passed since the issuance of the select list, yet no appointments were made.
Consequently, the judges deemed it appropriate to invalidate the entire selection process for the positions.
The APSC had initially advertised these posts on December 15, 2012, seeking applicants for various roles within the Assam Health and Family Welfare Department, including the 14 District Malaria Officer positions.
A screening test was conducted in April 2015, resulting in 59 candidates qualifying for interviews held in September of that year.
Ultimately, 14 candidates were selected, and the process was concluded in 2016.
However, complications arose when a female candidate, who had qualified for the interview but was not ultimately selected, filed a writ petition. She alleged corrupt practices during the selection process, claiming a member of the interview board had solicited money in exchange for her selection, which she refused.
In their ruling, the judges emphasized that they meticulously reviewed the evaluation sheets of the 56 candidates. They discovered that the marks for 28 candidates had been altered, with original scores changed without justification.
The judges remarked, “After taking into consideration the irregularities, which are of serious nature, the selection process cannot be termed as fair and transparent.”
The Additional Advocate General informed the court that the state government did not support the validity of the selection process and entrusted the matter to the court for appropriate resolution. The court determined that it would not be advisable for the APSC to conduct a new selection exercise based on the original marks from the interview.
Despite the conclusion of the selection process in 2016, no appointments had been made due to the pending writ petition.
As a result, the judges stated, “We deem it appropriate to set aside the entire selection process for the posts of District Malaria Officer.”
Furthermore, the court mandated that the APSC undertake a fresh selection process for the District Malaria Officer positions, in accordance with the law, and to do so as expeditiously as possible. This ruling aims to ensure a fair and transparent selection process moving forward, restoring integrity to the recruitment of these crucial roles within the public health sector.
