Mandatory cut-off dates for reservation certificates cannot be relaxed despite administrative delays or COVID-19 circumstances.

The Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) advertised vacancies for the post of TGT (Natural Science) (Female), Post Code 36/21, on May 12, 2021, with a final application cut-off date of July 4, 2021

The applicant applied under the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) category and was shortlisted for document verification

However, her candidature was rejected via Rejection Order No. 129 dated April 26, 2022, because her EWS certificate (dated October 7, 2021) was issued after the prescribed cut-off date

The applicant contended that the delay was due to administrative disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic

During the proceedings, it emerged that the certificate was also issued by an authority outside the territorial jurisdiction of the Government of NCT of Delhi (GNCTD)

1. Whether an EWS certificate issued after the prescribed cut-off date, due to pandemic-related delays, can be considered valid for reservation benefits

2. Whether a reservation certificate issued by an authority outside the territorial jurisdiction of GNCTD satisfies the mandatory recruitment conditions

The court primarily applied the Office Memorandum dated January 31, 2019 (No. 36039/1/2019-Estt.(Res)) issued by the DoPT, which stipulates in paragraph 5.3 that the "crucial date" for submitting income and asset certificates is the closing date for receipt of applications

It further relied on Clause 6 of Advertisement No. 02/21, which mandates that reservation benefits are subject to circulars issued by the GNCTD and that relevant certificates must be issued by the competent/notified authority on or before the cut-off date

The Tribunal analyzed the interplay between the recruitment advertisement's terms and the applicant's documentation. It observed that Clause 6 of the advertisement is mandatory, requiring candidates to possess valid certificates from a competent authority of the GNCTD by the closing date

The court found that the applicant’s certificate failed on two counts: first, it was issued after the July 4, 2021 cut-off; and second, it was issued by an authority outside the territorial jurisdiction of the GNCTD

The Tribunal reasoned that while the COVID-19 pandemic caused genuine hardships, such circumstances cannot justify relaxing essential eligibility conditions that are explicitly prescribed in recruitment rules and go to the "root of the matter"

Deviating from these rules would effectively amount to "altering the rules of the game" after the process had commenced

Consequently, the applicant was correctly considered under the Unreserved (UR) category, where her marks fell below the required cut-off. The Original Application was dismissed, and all pending applications were disposed of with no order as to costs