SMT HARSA SONI vs DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY on 13 October 2026

CENTRAL ADMINISTRATIVE TRIBUNAL JABALPUR

Order Sheet

Item no.: 1

O.A./948/2026 (JABALPUR)

[ RECRUITMENT ]

Court No.: 1

No of Adjournment:

Order Dated: 13/10/2026

SMT HARSA SONI

Vs

DEPARTMENT OF SCHOOL EDUCATION AND LITERACY

For Applicant(s) Advocate : Shri Akash Singhai, through VC

For Respondent(s) Advocate : Shri M K Verma, through VC, along with Ms. Nidhi Sonkar, for KVS, Shri D S Baghel, for NVS

Order of The Tribunal

Hon'ble Shri Rajinder Singh Dogra, Member (Judicial), connected through VC.

Heard.

Issue notice to the respondents as per rules.

Through this Original Application, the applicant is seeking interim direction to the respondents to provisionally consider her candidature for the post of PGT (Physics) and to keep one post vacant each in OBC (NCL) and PwBD category and/or permit the applicant to remain under consideration for the aforesaid post subject to the final outcome of this OA.

Learned counsel for the applicant submits that in pursuance of Recruitment Notification No. 01/2025 issued by KVS/NVS for PGT and other posts, the applicant applied for the post of PGT

(Physics) in OBC (NCL) category as well as PwBD (Hearing Impairment) category. After clearing the written examination, she was called for document verification and interview on the same date. During the document verification, the applicant was found ineligible for interview on the ground that her OBC (NCL)

certificate had not been issued between the prescribed period i.e.

01.01.2025 and the last date of application i.e. 04.12.2025 as per the notification. The Functional Certificate [Certificate of Disability (PwBD)] had also not been produced by her. However, she submitted her UDID with 80% permanent hearing impairment at the time of interview. She has also annexed a copy of representation sent through email dated 20.09.2026 (Annexure A/10) to the commissioner, KVS. The counsel for the applicant has relied on the interim order passed by CAT, Principal Bench, New Delhi in O.A. No./593/2026 (Saurabh Yadav Vs. Department of School Education and Literacy) wherein interim relief has been granted to the applicant.

The counsel for the respondents has vehemently opposed the prayer of the applicant for grant of interim relief. He has submitted that the applicant was not allowed to participate in the interview as she was found ineligible after document verification. As per clause 14 of the advertisement, the applicant was required to produce the Original PwBD category certificate as defined under section 2(r) of the RPWD Act 2016. The format of the certificate has been prescribed in the notification. However, the applicant could not produce the same at the time of document verification. Further, the OBC (NCL)

certificate produced by the applicant does not fall in the time period prescribed in the advertisement i.e. between 01.01.2025 to Last Date of application (i.e. 04.12.2025). The latest certificate of OBC

(NCL) annexed by the applicant was issued on 10.04.2026. Hence the candidature of the applicant was rejected.

We have considered the matter on the prayer for interim relief.

At the time of document verification, a letter was issued by verifying and controlling officer dated 18.09.2026 (Annexure A/9), wherein the applicant has been held ineligible on two grounds: