In Brief
This case concerns the selection of Gram Rojgar Sahayak (employment guarantors) for implementing a rural employment scheme in Madhya Pradesh. The District Collector unilaterally introduced a computer efficiency test not provided for in state-wide guidelines, resulting in removal of otherwise-selected candidates. The Supreme Court upheld the High Court's decision that the Collector exceeded his authority by altering the uniform state scheme for a single district mid-way through the process. The Court distinguished the principle of estoppel, finding candidates could not be deemed to have accepted the test as a selection criterion when it appeared in a procedural schedule, not the recruitment notification. The appeals were dismissed, affirming that state-wide recruitment schemes cannot be unilaterally modified.
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