Chandigarh, March 28 -- In a major breather for 10,000-odd employees of Haryana, the Punjab and Haryana high court (HC) has allowed the government to continue them in service. While disposing of a clutch of review applications, the bench of justice Ashwani Kumar Mishra and justice Sudeepti Sharma held that the recruitment made for the posts in 24 groups with nearly 10,000 employees did not warrant interference. The Haryana government introduced a Common Eligibility Test (CET) policy in May 2022 for Group-C and Group-D recruitment through the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC). The CET was conducted in two phases: CET-I (qualifying) and CET-II (selection). The policy also introduced a socio-economic criteria awarding up to 5 bonus marks, which was later challenged and stayed by the high court in November 2023. In May 2024, a division bench quashed the socio-economic criteria as violative of Articles 14, 15 and 16 of the Constitution and set aside the entire CET-based selection, directing fresh recruitment within six months. It was regarding this judgment that the review applications were filed by selected candidates whose appointments were set aside. The court said that in groups 56-57, the candidate-to-post ratio was very high and socio-economic marks materially affected shortlisting. However, in the remaining 24 groups, where candidates were fewer than 4-5 times the posts, for these groups, all eligible candidates were permitted to appear in CET-II without any shortlisting and no socio-economic marks were actually granted in CET-II results declared in February 2024 and March 2024. It noted that the commission had categorically confirmed through affidavits that 10,233 selected candidates were common to both lists (with and without socio-economic marks). The court found that the original judgment's adverse findings related specifically to groups 56-57 and were erroneously extended to the 24 groups. It also noted that none of the selected candidates were impleaded or heard before their appointments were set aside, causing them actual prejudice. It said that despite repeated opportunities granted to those opposing the prayer for review, not a single instance has been brought to the court's notice where a candidate qualifying in the CET-I was denied the opportunity to appear in the CET-II on account of low marks, in the posts included in 24 groups. Marks under socio-economic criteria head had thus, otherwise no impact on the merit list based on CET-I exam, for being called to appear in CET-II. Hence, the earlier division bench erred in quashing the CET results declared in January as well as July 2023 in the case of these 24 groups and in directing the commission to prepare a fresh merit list solely on the basis of CET marks of the candidates who appeared in the recruitment. As per senior advocate Chetan Mittal, approximately 10,458 candidates selected against 12,341 posts across 24 groups (including staff nurse, junior coach, electrician, fire operator-cum-driver, dispenser ayurveda, ophthalmic assistant, OT assistant, dietician, fire station officer, lab technician veterinary, radiographer, assistant manager dairying, motor winder, work supervisor, Indian cook and others) would be allowed to continue in service due to this decision. The earlier direction issued by the Punjab and Haryana high court for fresh advertisement has also been reversed for these 24 groups, the senior advocate added....