High Court Allows Law Graduate's Plea Against Change In Haryana ADA Recruitment Exam Syllabus

In a significant development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court today has allowed a petition challenging the abrupt change in the syllabus for the Haryana Assistant District Attorney (ADA) recruitment exam, which had shifted the focus from law-centric subjects to general knowledge.

The new syllabus for Haryana ADA Screening Test included Current Events of National and International Importance, History of India, Indian and World Geography, Indian Culture, Indian Polity and Indian Economy, General Mental Ability, Reasoning and Analytical Abilities, Basic numeracy, numbers and their relations, Data interpretation, Haryana GK History etc. and excludes law subject.

Justice Sandeep Moudgil allowed the petition seeking direction to withdraw the advertisement and to modify the syllabus of the screening test. A detailed judgement of the case is awaited.

The plea filed by a Law Graduate submitted that the change in syllabus from a law-centric screening test to a general knowledge-based test is arbitrary and lacks a rational basis.

The change in th scheme pattern of examination was made without proper consultation and requisition between the Haryana Government and HPSC, as required by the recruitment rules and Article 320 of the Constitution of India.

It added further stated that, "the new scheme/pattern of examination unfairly disadvantages practicing advocates who may have better knowledge of law but lack general knowledge and aptitude, thus preventing from competing in the subject knowledge test."

It was submitted that, "the criteria for screening out candidates must be reasonable and not arbitrary, and the current scheme/pattern of examination is arbitrary and lacks a rational basis and is not in consonance with the end result sought to be achieved by the examination."

Advocates Ajit Singh Lamba and Vivek Sheoran appeared for the petitioner.

Title: Lakhan Singh v. State of Haryana & Ors.