No reservation for candidates if caste certificate not in prescribed format: SC

Updated: May 18th, 2025

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No reservation for candidates if caste certificate not in prescribed format SC

In a significant judgment, the Supreme Court has ruled that to apply under any recruitment advertisement, it is mandatory to submit the caste certificate in the specific format mentioned in the advertisement. A candidate cannot claim exemption from this requirement merely on the basis of belonging to a reserved category.

No reservation for candidates if caste certificate not in prescribed format SC

A bench of Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan observed this judgment in relation to an application submitted by a candidate under a recruitment advertisement issued by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB). 

The candidate had submitted an OBC (Other Backward Class) certificate in a format recognised by the central government, while the advertisement specifically required the certificate in a format prescribed by the state government. Since the candidate did not submit the certificate in the required format, they were considered under the unreserved category.

When the candidate was excluded from the recruitment process on this basis, they first approached the Allahabad High Court. After not receiving any relief from the there, they moved the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court also upheld the high court’s decision and stated that it is the responsibility of every candidate to comply with the rules and conditions stated in the recruitment advertisement.

In the verdict delivered by Justice Datta, reference was made to the 2013 case Registrar General, Calcutta High Court vs Srinivas Prasad Shah \[(2013) 12 SCC 364], which stated that if a certificate is not in the prescribed format and not issued by the competent authority, it will adversely affect the eligibility of the candidate.

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