Ram Lakhan Meena S/O Moji Ram Meena v. the State of Rajasthan
Case brief
What is this about?
Rajasthan High Court Jaipur Bench (Sameer Jain J., pronounced 04-09-2025, [2025:RJ-JP:35155]) dismisses a batch of S.B. Civil Writ Petitions (up to No. 249 in connected list; lead CW 18145/2024 Ramesh Chand Saini & Shyam Lal Jain) concerning the 2013 LDC (Lower Division Clerk) recruitment of Zila Parishads by the Rural Development & Panchayati Raj Department: advertisement of 2013 notifying 19,275 vacancies; 18,415 successful; 7,755 appointed 2013; bonus-marks litigation (Archana SBCWP 4144/2013, interim stay 15.07.2013; DBSA 630/2013 answers 27.09.2013 capping bonus marks at 15; SLP before Supreme Court, final adjudication 29.11.2016); revival per Arjun Ram Nain SBCWP 3752/2017 judgment 07.04.2017 (19,246 posts minuted; 1,805 further appointments; 9,560 total); cadre restructuring yielding 12,911 sanctioned LDC posts, 11,179 filled; 1,732 vacant + 2,268 promotion vacancies = 4,000; letters 26.12.2017/26.09.2018 modifying criteria; letter No. 689 dated 05.03.2019 and deferral No. 1084 dated 05.04.2019; interim orders 04.05/26.05.2022 in Girish Kumar Kumawat SBCWP 17700/2018 prompting impugned letter No. 2375 dated 07.09.2022 (171 posts Dausa, 150 Karauli); 3,608 appointed, residue 392 then 333. Key themes: no indefeasible/vested right from select or waiting list; State not bound to fill all advertised vacancies; cadre restructuring and variation of posts lawful where notification reserved liberty; 'rules of the game' (Tej Prakash Pathak (2013) 4 SCC 540) confined to eligibility and selection procedure — reliance distinguished/misplaced; stare decisis and finality of Hari Om Meena DBSAW 251/2025 (process terminus, fresh advertisement 29.08.2024); interest reipublicae ut sit finis litium; arbitrariness/pick-and-choose repelled; Articles 14 & 16; supporting authorities Shankarsan Dash (1991) 3 SCC 47, Subash Chander Marwaha (1974) 3 SCC 220, Arabinda Rabha 2025 INSC 334; ancillary issues (RS-CIT/PCTI certificates, computer qualification equivalence, experience certificates, Rule 40(3) Rajasthan PWD Rules 2011 relaxation, bonus marks) deemed infructuous; outcome: all petitions dismissed, no order as to costs, pending applications disposed.