The Madras High Court disposed of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed seeking direction to the respondents for formulating a uniform nationwide policy to be made applicable to all Government Departments, Government Organizations, Government Institutions, Public Sector Undertakings, Government aided/ funded and semi – government institutions to collect uniform Application Fees from the male candidates of OBC/General Category candidates during recruitment and exempt candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, Women and people with disabilities from payment of any such fees and strictly implement the policy.
Rohini Ravikumar, Counsel for the petitioner, submits that in an advertisement issued by the railways, it is shown that the entire examination fees is refundable.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Vijaykumar Gangapurwala and Justice D. Bharatha Chakravarthy said that a distinction will have to be made amongst the autonomous bodies and government bodies.
The Court noted that there is no such material on record to accept the contention of counsel for the petitioner and the Petitioner has not even given a representation to the authority concerned.
“It is open for the petitioner to give a representation to the authority concerned. In case the representation is not considered by the authorities, then the petitioner may take steps”, the Court directed.