In Brief
The appellant was appointed as a part-time female member to Himachal Pradesh's Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission despite ranking third in the Selection Committee's merit panel. The respondent, ranked second with equal marks, challenged the appointment. The State claimed the appellant had superior "public experience," though no Rule or instruction permitted this deviation from the ranked panel. The Supreme Court held that without governing Rules, the State cannot arbitrarily introduce selection criteria beyond those used by the Committee. The appointment violated constitutional principles of equality. The appeal was dismissed, upholding the High Court's decision to quash the appointment.
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