The Supreme Court has ruled that candidates who conceal their higher educational qualifications while applying for posts meant exclusively for individuals with lower qualifications cannot claim a right to such employment, as doing so would prejudice genuinely eligible applicants.
A bench comprising Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah and Justice R Mahadevan observed that allowing overqualified candidates to secure positions earmarked for lesser-qualified individuals would defeat the very purpose of the recruitment process and deprive deserving candidates of employment opportunities.
“When a post is specifically reserved for candidates possessing a prescribed lower qualification, permitting a person with higher qualifications to occupy that position would effectively deny an eligible candidate the opportunity for which the post was created,” the court noted.
Referring to its earlier judgment in Jomon K.K. v. Shajimon P. and Others (2025), the apex court reiterated that public employment must be filled strictly in accordance with the qualifications laid down in the recruitment rules. The bench clarified that possessing qualifications higher than those prescribed does not automatically confer eligibility or a right to appointment.
The court further held that recruiting authorities are well within their rights to enforce eligibility conditions and ensure that vacancies are filled only by candidates who meet the specified criteria. Allowing the appeal, the Supreme Court upheld the employer’s decision to terminate the respondent’s services, ruling that the action was legally valid and justified.
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