HC clears way for police recruitment, junks plea for age relaxation

Nainital: Uttarakhand high court has cleared the way for the state to finalise the recruitment of 2,000 police constables, vacating an interim stay that had stalled the process for months. HC ruled that it cannot grant age relaxations to candidates once a selection process has already been concluded.HC vacated the interim order dated Feb 27, 2025, which had previously prevented the state from declaring the final results. "The respondent authorities shall be at liberty to declare the result and issue letters of appointment to the selected candidates, as per law," the court said.The petition was filed by several aspiring candidates who had surpassed the maximum age limit of 22 years set for Group C positions within the District Reserve Police and Reserve PAC/IRB (male). The petitioners sought a mandamus to compel the state govt to grant age relaxations, arguing that recruitment cycles in Uttarakhand have been infrequent.The candidates pointed out that since the state's reorganization, constable recruitment has only occurred thrice — in 2014, 2021 and the current 2024 cycle. They argued that this "inaction" by authorities made them overaged and losing their eligibility to serve.State govt through chief standing counsel C S Rawat and govt lawyer Pradeep Hairiya strongly opposed the petition, highlighting a critical shortage of personnel in the Civil Police and PAC. Counsel for the state emphasised that the 2027 Kumbh Mela in Haridwar necessitates an immediate increase in the force.Officials argued that the ongoing delay was damaging, as selected candidates still require a full year of training before they can be deployed. Furthermore, the state noted that the petitioners had failed to legally challenge the recruitment advertisement itself or the specific cut-off dates used to determine eligibility.Justice Manoj Kumar Tiwari, presiding over the case, found "substance" in the state's arguments. The bench emphasised several key legal principles. The state govt, as the employer, maintains the right to set eligibility criteria and age limits for public posts. The power to relax recruitment rules lies solely with state govt and cannot be exercised by the court under Article 226 of the Constitution. While the petitioners cited a 2007 govt order regarding regular recruitment, HC ruled that such orders are for "guidance" and do not carry the same weight as enforceable law. Because the selection process for the 2000 vacancies is already finished, the court ruled it is "too late in the day" to seek relief.