The Allahabad High Court on Friday directed the Uttar Pradesh Higher Education Service Commission to allow those candidates who have entered wrong registration number in their fee receipts to appear in the Assistant Professor recruitment examination.
A single-judge bench of Justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Shivbachan Maurya And 2 others.
O.P. Mishra, counsel for the respondent commission, said because of the wrong registration number fed in the fee receipt the commission has not been able to issue admit cards to the petitioners.
The attention of the Court was also invited to a press release dated June 30, 2021 as per which the petitioners had to correctly mention their 10-digit registration number or else the application was not to be entertained. It was also urged that a large number of other similarly placed persons have also been denied admit cards.
The Court noted, “The application for appointment on the post of Assistant Professor against advertisement had to be processed in three stages. The first stage required an online registration of the candidate. This was to be followed with submission of online fee. The fee receipt was to be generated online wherein also all details, including registration number had to be mentioned. After a candidate completed the above two transactions he could fill the online application and with its lodgement and possession of its online receipt, the candidate could claim the right to appear in the examination.
“It is, however, urged by the respondents that in the fee receipt the petitioners have not correctly mentioned their registration number and therefore, although the online applications of petitioners are registered yet admit cards cannot be issued to them.
In cases where a large number of candidates apply for appointment, the recruitment agency often entertains applications online. The process is structured such that in the event details are not correctly filled the application itself would not be entertained.
The Court further noted that, in the facts of the case the petitioners have completed all formalities and their online applications, after registration and fee deposit have been accepted. In the event there was any fault, at any previous stage, the applications itself could not have been entertained. The error in recording of registration number is otherwise not a serious shortcoming inasmuch as petitioners have got themselves registered and their fee is also deposited in addition to the online application form.
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It was stated on behalf of the respondents that in the absence of application it was not possible to issue admit cards.
“Such is not the case here. Since there is substantial compliance on part of the petitioners in making the online application as such petitioners prima-facie appear to be eligible for appearing in the examination,”
-the Court observed.
“Both the respondents are allowed four weeks time to file a counter-affidavit. Rejoinder affidavit, if any, may be filed within one week, thereafter. In the meantime, the respondent-Commission is directed to issue admit cards to petitioners and permit them to appear in the forthcoming examination, provisionally, subject to final outcome of the writ petition,”
-the Court ordered.