The Supreme Court bench, comprising Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Manmohan, denied relief to a candidate whose OBC certificate did not align with the state government's specified format, which was crucial for the positions advertised by the Uttar Pradesh Police Recruitment and Promotion (UPPRPB).

It was determined that deviations from the required format would likely result in the candidates being treated under the unreserved category instead.

The Court made significant observations regarding the requirement of caste certificates in a specific format as mandated in recruitment advertisements. It noted that applicants must submit their caste certificates in the designated format, emphasizing that simply belonging to a particular caste does not exempt a candidate from this requirement.

In this case involving candidates Mohit and Kiran, the court underlined that their reliance on the claim that the UP Police Recruitment and Promotion Board (UPPRPB) was being overly technical for insisting on the correct format was unfounded.

The court dismissed their appeal for relief, reiterating the importance of adherence to stated guidelines, which, if disregarded, could have negative implications for their candidacy.

The court asserted that applicants have a responsibility to thoroughly understand the recruitment notifications and comply with the outlined procedures.

If candidates fail to grasp these requirements due to their own oversight, they cannot subsequently challenge the selection process.

The court emphasized that, while the recruiting authority holds discretion over the recruitment process, candidates must be diligent in their compliance to avoid adverse consequences.

Ultimately, the court asserted that the onus is on the applicants to ensure that their submissions meet the stipulated criteria and highlighted that merely relying on an ambiguous interpretation of the terms would not be a valid rationale for contesting the outcome if their application is unsuccessful.

Case Title: Mohit Kumar v. State of  U.P. & Ors.

Advocate For Petitioner(s) :Mr. Rahul Kaushik, Sr. Adv. Mr. Kumar Gaurav, Adv. Mr. Tom Joseph, AOR Ms. Kristen Sleeth, Adv. Ms. Ruchira Goel, AOR Ms. Veera Mahuli, Adv. Mr. Sharanya Singh, Adv. For Respondent(s) :Ms. Ruchira Goel, AOR Ms. Veera Mahuli, Adv. Mr. Sharanya Singh, Adv. Mr. Kumar Gaurav, Adv. Mr. Tom Joseph, AOR Ms. Arya Krishnan, Adv. Mr. Prashant Bhardwaj, Adv.

Advocate For Respondent(s) :Ms. Ruchira Goel, AOR Ms. Veera Mahuli, Adv. Mr. Sharanya Singh, Adv. Mr. Kumar Gaurav, Adv. Mr. Tom Joseph, AOR Ms. Arya Krishnan, Adv. Mr. Prashant Bhardwaj, Adv.