For Prelims: Reservation in India, Screening Test, Horizontal vs Vertical Reservation, Court, Judge, Recruitment body, Post, Total vacancies
Source:
Dainik Bhaskar
5 facts for one-day exams
SSC, railway, police and teaching exams ask direct questions like these.
- Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld HPSC's rule on screening test concessions.
- Justice Harpreet Singh Barad delivered the verdict on 8 November 2026.
- HPSC advertised 123 Assistant Professor (History) posts: 64 General, 11 EWS.
- The petitioner scored 51.84 but had used EWS relaxed screening standards.
- Only 18 reserved-category candidates cleared the General screening cutoff without concession.
Why in the news?
Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that a candidate who passes the screening test using relaxed standards for their reserved category cannot later claim an unreserved (General) seat, even if their final marks exceed the General cutoff. The verdict upholds the principle that reservation benefits at one stage restrict competition for open seats at later stages.
Summary
- Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld HPSC's rule: candidates who clear the screening test using reserved-category concessions cannot shift to General seats in later stages.
- The court dismissed a petition from an EWS candidate who scored 51.84 (above the General last selected candidate's 51.06) but had passed screening on EWS relaxed standards.
- Only 18 reserved-category candidates who cleared the General screening cutoff without any concession were eligible for adjustment to General seats.
Highlights
Screening Concession Bars General Claim
A candidate who uses reserved-category relaxed standards in the screening test cannot later claim a General seat, even with higher final marks.
Key Recruitment Details
HPSC advertised 123 Assistant Professor (History) posts: 64 General, 11 EWS; the petitioner scored 51.84 vs General last candidate's 51.06.
The 18-Candidate Exception
Only 18 reserved-category candidates who cleared the screening test on General cutoff without concession were eligible for General seat adjustment.
Background
The case arose from HPSC's Assistant Professor (History) recruitment for 123 posts. The petitioner, an EWS candidate, passed the screening test using EWS-relaxed standards. In the final merit list, she scored 51.84, marginally higher than the last General selectee's 51.06. She argued that since she took no age, experience, or qualification concession, she should be adjusted against a General seat.
Way Forward
This verdict is binding within the jurisdiction of the Punjab and Haryana High Court (Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh) and will guide recruitment exams and authorities in that jurisdiction; it may be persuasive but is not binding on other states or other high courts.
Screening test concession vs General seat claim
| Candidate type | Screening test basis | Eligible for General seat? |
|---|---|---|
| Reserved category with concession | Relaxed category cutoff | No |
| Reserved category without concession | General cutoff | Yes |
| General category | General cutoff | Yes |
Haryana connection
Matters for these Haryana exams:HPSC HCS 8/10HSSC 7/10
Background GK
Textbook concepts you need to understand this news
- Reservation in India
- Constitutional provisions — Article 15(4) allows special provisions in educational institutions for socially and educationally backward classes and for SC/ST; Article 15(6) (103rd Amendment, 2019) permits reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) in educational institutions; Article 16(4) allows reservation in public employment for backward classes not adequately represented; Article 16(4A) provides for reservation in promotion for SC/ST with consequential seniority; Article 16(6) (103rd Amendment, 2019) permits reservation for EWS in public employment.
- Screening Test
- A preliminary examination in a multi-stage recruitment process designed to shortlist candidates for the next stage (subject knowledge test/interview). It often has category-wise cutoffs.
- Horizontal vs Vertical Reservation
- Vertical reservation is for social categories (SC, ST, OBC, EWS). Horizontal reservation applies within each vertical category for specific groups (women, persons with disabilities).
Facts to remember
Tap a card to see the answer. Try to recall it first.
How exams will ask this
- Data: 123 Assistant Professor posts, 64 General, 11 EWS; petitioner's score 51.84 vs General last selected 51.06.
- Nodal Body: Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC).
- Legal Point: Principle that screening-test concession bars later claim to a General (unreserved) seat.
Don't make this mistake!
The trap is to assume that any candidate with higher final marks can claim a General seat. The key is that the concession was taken at the screening stage, which disqualifies the candidate from open competition in later stages. Aspirants may confuse 'no age/experience concession' with 'no screening concession'.
Stuck? Get it in one tap
The Punjab and Haryana High Court ruled that in a multi-stage recruitment exam, a candidate from a reserved category who passes the first screening test using relaxed marks for their category cannot later switch to a General (unreserved) seat in the final list. Even if their final total marks are higher than the last General candidate, they are locked into their own category because they took a concession at the screening stage. This ensures fairness in both reservation and open competition.
- Punjab and Haryana High Court upheld HPSC's rule on screening test concessions.
- Justice Harpreet Singh Barad delivered the verdict on 8 November 2026.
- HPSC advertised 123 Assistant Professor (History) posts: 64 General, 11 EWS.
- The petitioner scored 51.84 but had used EWS relaxed screening standards.
- Only 18 reserved-category candidates cleared the General screening cutoff without concession.
- Polity: Reservation and Constitutional provisions
- Governance: Public Service Commissions and recruitment rules
Related concepts: Reservation in India, Screening Test, Horizontal vs Vertical Reservation
Practice questions
Pick an answer, then read the explanation.
- Q1Medium
Which constitutional article primarily empowers the state to make reservations in public employment for socially and educationally backward classes?
Explanation: Article 16(4) specifically empowers the state to make provisions for the reservation of appointments or posts in favor of any backward class of citizens that is not adequately represented. Article 15(4) covers educational institutions, Article 14 is the equality clause, and Article 16(4A) deals with promotion with consequential seniority for SC/ST.
- Q2Hard
Consider the following statements regarding the Punjab and Haryana High Court judgment on screening test concessions:
- 1.A candidate who uses reserved-category relaxed standards in the screening test cannot later claim a General seat even if their final marks exceed the General cutoff.
- 2.The judgment applies only to Assistant Professor recruitment and not to other HPSC exams.
- 3.The court held that only candidates who clear the screening test on General cutoff without concession can be adjusted to General seats.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation: Statement 1 is correct: the court ruled that a screening-test concession bars a later claim to a General seat. Statement 3 is correct: only those reserved-category candidates who cleared the screening test on the General cutoff without concession were eligible for adjustment to General seats (18 candidates).
- Q3Easy
How many total vacancies were advertised by HPSC for the Assistant Professor (History) post in this recruitment?
Explanation: HPSC advertised 123 posts for Assistant Professor (History). 64 were General (UR) seats, 11 were EWS seats, and the remaining were for other categories.
- Q4Medium
What is the primary objective of the rule upheld by the Punjab and Haryana High Court in this judgment?
Explanation: The court's ruling prevents 'category shopping' where a candidate uses relaxed standards at one stage and then competes for an open seat later. This maintains the integrity of both reservation and open merit. Reducing competition, increasing cutoffs, or giving preference to EWS are not the objectives.
Frequently asked questions
1. What did the Punjab and Haryana High Court decide about screening test concessions?
The court ruled that a candidate who uses reserved-category relaxed standards in the screening test cannot later claim a General (unreserved) seat, even if their final marks exceed the General cutoff.
2. Who was the petitioner in this case and what was her score?
The petitioner was Arti, an EWS category candidate for Assistant Professor (History) in Haryana. She scored 51.84 out of 100, while the last General selected candidate scored 51.06.
3. How many candidates were eligible for General seat adjustment from reserved categories?
Only 18 reserved-category candidates who cleared the screening test on the General cutoff without any concession were eligible for adjustment to General seats.
All sources
- Original8 November 2026 · Read story
