Tripura High Court Cracks Down on Alleged Irregularities in JRBT Recruitment, Orders Fresh Merit-Based Lists Within 4 Months
By Our Correspondent
Agartala, May 2, 2026
In a significant judgment aimed at ensuring transparency and fairness in government recruitment, the High Court of Tripura has directed the Joint Recruitment Board of Tripura (JRBT) to prepare and publish fresh merit-based selection lists for Group-C and Group-D recruitments within four months. The order was passed by Mr Justice S Datta Purkayastha while disposing of multiple writ petitions alleging serious irregularities in the JRBT recruitment process conducted for Multi Tasking Staff (Group-D) and several Group-C posts.
The court heard together WP(C) Nos. 694 of 2024, 695 of 2024, 784 of 2024 and 785 of 2024, filed by Joyjit Chowdhury, Ranjit Debnath, Santi Prasad Das and Rajesh Chakraborty. The petitioners alleged that despite securing higher marks in the recruitment examinations, they were denied selection while several candidates with lower marks were selected under the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category. According to the petitioners, the JRBT failed to follow the proper procedure of horizontal reservation for disabled candidates and instead wrongly compartmentalized reservation within SC, ST and UR categories before preparing the merit list.
During the hearing, Advocate Arijit Bhaumik appeared on behalf of the petitioners, while Additional Government Advocates Mangal Debbarma and D Sarma represented the State respondents. The petitioners argued that reservation for persons with disabilities is horizontal reservation, which cuts across vertical reservations such as SC, ST and UR categories, and therefore selection should first be made strictly on merit before adjustment within respective categories.
The High Court extensively referred to landmark Supreme Court judgments including Indra Sawhney vr Union of India, Rajesh Kumar Daria vr Rajasthan Public Service Commission and Rekha Sharma vr Rajasthan High Court while observing that the reservation for persons with disabilities is horizontal in nature and must be implemented through interlocking reservation. The court noted that the respondents failed to follow both Supreme Court guidelines and the State government’s Office Memorandum dated January 9, 2019.
Justice S Datta Purkayastha observed that several candidates with lower marks had been selected while higher-scoring candidates were left out because the authorities earmarked disability quota posts in advance under SC, ST and UR categories. The court held that such compartmentalization violated the law and deprived meritorious candidates of appointment. The judgment further stated that the State government’s own guidelines clearly mention that disability reservation is horizontal reservation and candidates selected under PwBD quota must later be adjusted within their respective vertical categories.
The High Court directed the respondents to prepare fresh selection lists for Group-D posts strictly on the basis of merit obtained by candidates with benchmark disabilities and thereafter adjust them against UR, SC and ST categories according to their social category. Similar directions were issued for Group-C posts including LDC, Agriculture Assistant, Junior Operator (Pump) and Junior Multi Tasking Operator (Un-common). The court also directed the State to separately determine disability reservation for each cadre and each establishment in accordance with Section 34 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016.
The court further clarified that if any already-appointed candidate is found ineligible after preparation of fresh merit lists, the State government would be at liberty to cancel such appointments after following due legal procedure. Justice Purkayastha finally ordered that the entire exercise relating to both advertisements and fresh publication of merit-based selection lists must be completed within four months from receipt of the court order.
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