NEW DELHI, Nov 7: The Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that recruitment rules for government jobs cannot be altered once the process has begun, unless specifically prescribed.
A five-judge bench, led by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, emphasized that the ‘rules of the game’ established before the commencement of the recruitment process should remain unchanged. The bench, which also included Justices Hrishikesh Roy, PS Narasimha, Pankaj Mithal, and Manoj Misra, stressed that the selection process must align with the principles of fairness and equality as enshrined in Article 14 of the Constitution.
The Court unanimously upheld that the recruitment process must be transparent, non-discriminatory, and free from sudden rule changes that could disadvantage candidates. The judgment ensures that candidates are not caught off guard by alterations to the rules during the recruitment process.