In Brief
Dheerender Singh Paliwal applied for the post of Senior Scientific Officer at the Forensic Science Laboratory under a UPSC advertisement requiring a B.Sc. degree with Zoology as one of the subjects. Although he possessed all qualifications and had declared so in his application, his application was rejected for failing to enclose a degree certificate as documentary proof. The CAT directed his interview; he produced the original degree at interview and was found meritorious. The High Court's Division Bench set aside the CAT order. The Supreme Court held that substantial compliance with requirements sufficed since Paliwal actually possessed the qualification, it was recorded in his resume, and he demonstrated it at interview. The Court found unfair the respondent's selective leniency with other candidates' documentation. The appeal was allowed and Paliwal was appointed as directed by the CAT.",
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