On Thursday, the Supreme Court adopted an important decision on the rules of the selection process for government positions. The Supreme Court said that the rules of the hiring process cannot be changed mid-stream, especially unless it is determined to be so.
In fact, the court ruled on the question of whether the State and its institutions can change the rules of the job selection process once the process has begun. A five-judge bench headed by Chief Justice DY Chandrachud said the rules once decided before the start of the recruitment process will not be changed midway. The bench also included Justice Hrishikesh Roy, Justice PS Narasimha, Justice Pankaj Mithal and Justice Manoj Mishra.
The court stated that the selection rules should not be arbitrary. This should be according to article 14 of the Constitution. The top court unanimously said transparency and non-discrimination should be the hallmark of the public procurement process. Candidates should not be surprised or harassed by changing the rules mid-stream.
