In a significant development impacting the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) recruitment process, the Rajasthan High Court has issued a stay order on appointments made under the departmental quota. The decision comes after a legal challenge raised questions about the application of caste-based reservation within this specific quota.
Court Halts Appointments Pending Judicial Review
A single-judge bench of the Rajasthan High Court, presided over by Justice Ashok Kumar Jain, passed the order on Thursday. The court was hearing a writ petition filed by Rohit Kumar and other candidates on November 17. The bench explicitly restrained the state government from making any appointments against the departmental quota posts in the RAS Recruitment 2023 until further orders are issued.
The court found substantial merit in the petitioners' arguments, stating that the issue raises a substantial and arguable question of law. "If appointments are made at this stage, the interests of the petitioners may be adversely affected," the court observed, justifying the interim stay.
The Core of the Controversy
Advocate Mohit Khandelwal, representing the petitioners, presented the central argument before the court. He submitted that for the RAS Recruitment 2023, the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) had notified that 12.5% of the total vacancies would be reserved for in-service or departmental candidates.
However, the petitioners contended that while declaring the results, the RPSC committed an error. "The Commission issued only a general category cut-off for the departmental quota," Khandelwal argued. It was asserted that the RPSC was legally required to declare separate cut-off marks for candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) within the departmental quota, in strict accordance with the state's reservation rules.
Implications and Next Steps
The court's order effectively puts a pause on a crucial segment of the prestigious RAS recruitment drive. By staying the appointments, the court has ensured that the reservation policy is thoroughly examined before any final appointments are confirmed under the departmental quota. This judicial intervention underscores the legal complexities surrounding reservation policies in promotional and in-service recruitment avenues.
The case will now proceed for a detailed hearing where the Rajasthan Public Service Commission and the state government will have an opportunity to present their stance. The final outcome will set a precedent for how reservation rules are applied to departmental quotas in future state service recruitments. For now, hundreds of candidates awaiting appointment under the 12.5% departmental quota will have to wait for the court's final verdict.
