Introduction:

In a recent case, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a Police Constable aspirant, directing authorities to consider his selection based on the birth date mentioned in his Class 10 certificate, despite an inadvertent discrepancy in the online application form. The appellant, Vashist Narayan Kumar, belonging to a marginalized community, faced cancellation of candidature due to this mismatch in birth dates.

Arguments:

Vashist Narayan Kumar, fulfilling all eligibility criteria, faced rejection solely due to an inadvertent error in his birth date mentioned in the online application form compared to his Class 10 mark sheet. The authorities contended that any discrepancy led to automatic cancellation, without considering the appellant’s inadvertent mistake. While Kumar sought relief, the authorities argued that he failed to rectify the error despite provisions for correction.

Court’s Judgement:

The Supreme Court, invoking Article 142 of the Constitution, directed authorities to treat Kumar as a candidate who passed the selection process based on the birth date in his Class 10 certificate. It emphasized that the error, deemed trivial, should not bar his selection, especially as it had no bearing on his eligibility or the ultimate outcome. The court highlighted that the appellant’s inadvertent error did not amount to misrepresentation or intentional suppression, refusing to penalize him for such a minor lapse.