In Brief
A candidate for the post of Senior Scientific Officer applied to UPSC but was not called for interview because he failed to enclose proof of his B.Sc. qualification with Zoology as a subject, despite marking possession of essential qualifications in the application form. The Central Administrative Tribunal directed his inclusion in the interview, where he produced the original degree and was found meritorious. The High Court set aside the Tribunal's order on technicality. The Supreme Court allowed the appeal, holding that substantial compliance with procedural requirements and actual possession of demonstrated qualifications cannot be defeated by technical non-compliance in the mode of proof, particularly where similarly situated candidates received lenient treatment.
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