Reservation Benefit Once Claimed, Candidate Cannot Shift to General Category: High Court

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has delivered an important ruling on the application of reservation benefits in recruitment processes. The court has clarified that a candidate who has already availed the benefit of reservation at any stage of a recruitment process cannot later claim migration to the unreserved or general category.

 

The court, however, also made an important distinction. It held that candidates who had applied under a reserved category but did not take any reservation-related benefit, such as age relaxation, fee relaxation or any other concession, and whose marks are higher than the cut-off of the general category, may be considered against available general category seats.

 

The decision was given by a division bench of the High Court while hearing reconsideration applications connected with recruitment to 805 posts of Ayurvedic Medical Officer in Haryana. The recruitment process was initiated through an advertisement issued on June 21, 2024.

 

The bench clarified that during the recruitment process, a candidate who has received any advantage on the basis of reservation cannot subsequently seek adjustment in the unreserved category. Such a candidate will remain within the reserved category for which the benefit was taken.

 

At the same time, the court protected the rights of meritorious candidates who may have applied under a reserved category but competed without taking any special concession. The court observed that if such candidates have secured marks above the general category cut-off, they are entitled to be considered for general category seats, provided they have not availed any relaxation or benefit linked with reservation.

 

The matter arose after petitions seeking reconsideration of an earlier bench decision dated November 3, 2025 were filed. The court examined whether candidates who had originally applied under reserved categories could be shifted to the general category during the selection process.

 

The High Court made it clear that candidates who received age relaxation, fee concession or any other reservation-based benefit cannot be treated as general category candidates at a later stage. This principle, the court said, is necessary to maintain fairness and consistency in recruitment.

 

According to the ruling, a candidate cannot take advantage of a reserved category for eligibility or participation and then claim a place in the general category after the merit list is prepared. Such a practice, the court indicated, would disturb the balance of reservation policy and affect the rights of other candidates.