New Delhi, Jan. 13 -- The Supreme Court on Monday held that honesty and transparency are indispensable attributes in persons applying for public employment as it set aside the appointment of a candidate who failed to disclose his criminal antecedents while applying for a job with the Uttar Pradesh government.

"Proper and complete disclosure in applications for government employment is not a simple procedural formality, but a basic requirement rooted in fairness, integrity, and public trust," said a bench of justices Sanjay Karol and N Kotiswar Singh.

The court was deciding an appeal filed by the Uttar Pradesh government challenging a decision of the Allahabad high court passed on May 22, 2025 which held that non-disclosure of criminal a...