India’s Supreme Court has stepped in to help a Scheduled Tribe candidate who missed out on a state civil services job due to a confusing notification from the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC). The top court ordered a fresh medical examination for Shreya Kumari Tirkey, giving her another shot at selection.
Tirkey cleared the prelims, mains, and interview stages of the Jharkhand civil services exam with flying colors. But she skipped the medical test on May 17, 2022, because she thought document verification wrapped up on May 16, and the medical check would follow the next day. The JPSC’s ad said interviews ran from May 9 to 16, with medical exams “fixed for the next day” at Sadar Hospital in Ranchi. That wording created real confusion, the court noted.
A bench led by Justice Vikram Nath, along with Justice Sandeep Mehta, agreed. They pointed out that the unclear instructions led to a “genuine doubt” about when to show up. The justices emphasized that medical exams only check physical fitness for the job—not a candidate’s merit. Why punish someone so harshly for missing it? they asked.
Even if Tirkey was a bit negligent, the court said she deserves leniency, especially as a member of a marginalized community. As a model employer, the government should uplift people from Scheduled Tribes, not throw up procedural roadblocks that cause more injustice right at the start.
The Supreme Court overturned the Jharkhand High Court’s earlier ruling, which had backed the JPSC’s rejection of her candidature. Now, the JPSC must conduct a new medical exam for Tirkey. If she passes, officials have to create an extra post just for her appointment.
She’ll get continuity of service starting from when the last selected candidate joined, but no back wages. This decision highlights the court’s push for fairness in civil services recruitment, particularly for underrepresented groups in India.
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