The Delhi High Court has ruled that OBC certificate issued solely for Central government jobs cannot be used to claim reservation in posts advertised by the Delhi government. The bench of Justices C. Hari Shankar and Ajay Digpaul allowed the Delhi government’s appeal against a CAT order that had granted relief to a candidate from the Nai community in Uttar Pradesh. The candidate had cleared the written exam for a Health Department post. But was rejected due to her OBC certificate not being valid in Delhi. The court clarified that her certificate, dated July 12, 2017, explicitly stated it was for Central government posts only. It also noted the certificate was based on one issued to her father in UP, not from Delhi. The court emphasized the Vacancy Notice required OBC certificates from Delhi’s Revenue Department, based on prior certificates issued in Delhi.
It rejected comparisons with the Rishabh Malik case, noting that the candidate there held both Delhi and outsider OBC certificates. The Court stressed that recruitment conditions must be strictly followed and courts cannot relax them on fairness or equity grounds.
