Karnataka HC verdict on RRB reserve list shows how government job aspirants suffer due to institutional apathy

If India really wants to deal with unemployment, then all institutions and bodies associated with employment ought to be thoroughly inspected by the State for any discrepancy in the process After three years of clearing the Regional Rural Bank examination, indulging in a two-year-long legal battle and enduring two waves of lockdown without a secure livelihood – the 12 petitioners along with all other eligible candidates of the 2017 batch are set to get the jobs that they meritoriously deserved three years back. On 16 April, 2021, the Karnataka High Court ordered Regional Rural Banks and the Institute of Banking Personnel Selection to offer appointments to all eligible students of the 2017 RRB exams whose name appeared in the reserved list. It was a simple submission before Justice R Devdas that since these candidates are qualified and so many seats are left vacant due to the non-joining of candidates from the main list, not upgrading the candidates from the reserve list is a violation of their fundamental rights and against the service law jurisprudence of reserve lists,” Shashank Shekhar, who worked closely with petitioners to put up a strong case by drafting the writ petition and filing all supporting documents to belie the case of the RRBs, said. Even though the petitioners did not have an indefeasible right, it observed, “The right of petitioners was available and the banks deliberately chose not to operate the reserve list.” The court directed the Union of India and the RRBs involved in the matter to consider the case of the petitioners who are found eligible in the reserve list, “offer them appointments” and complete this “exercise” within three months from the date of issuance of this order.