The Calcutta High Court has rejected the petition of a candidate for selection as a constable in the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), who had fallen short of the stipulated height, observing that scope for interference with the physical standard test result in such a situation is very limited.

Maintaining that the court does not find any reason to interfere with the physical standard test (PST) result as prayed for by the petitioner, Justice Arindam Mukherjee dismissed the petition.

Holding that scope for interference with the PST result in such a situation is very limited and has to be done with caution, Justice Mukherjee noted the petitioner had been unsuccessful on the ground of height requirement, both in the selection process and at the review examination.

In his plea, Harun Miah had prayed that he be considered in the recruitment process of constable (general duty) in CAPF pursuant to an employment notice for the recruitment examination for 2024.

The petitioner's height at the PST was found to be 169.4 cm.

His lawyer claimed that in terms of the guidelines for recruitment medical examination in CAPFs and Assam Rifles published in May, 2015, a candidate whose height falls short of the minimum height provided in the employment notice, will be given a benefit of 0.5 cm from the minimum height prescribed for the PST.

The employment notice stated the minimum height requirement is 170 cm.

He stated that in view of such stipulation, the petitioner should have been declared successful in the PST instead of being rejected on the ground of height, and ought to have been sent for the next round, the physical efficiency test.

The court, in the recent judgement, noted that the petitioner's height falls short even if the relaxation is considered.

Opposing the prayer of the petitioner, the Union government's lawyers submitted the 2015 guidelines relied upon by the petitioner has no manner of application at the PST stage, as the preface of such guidelines qualifies that the same is a guideline for recruitment medical examination only.

They also said height relaxation can be provided only in case of Scheduled Tribes or some other categories where the minimum height will be as stipulated, which is below the prescribed height of 170 cm.

The lawyers stated that the petitioner should not be allowed the relaxation as the same is likely to open a floodgate, and the entire selection mechanism based on parameters set by expert bodies will become inconsequential.

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