The Supreme Court of India has upheld a Jammu and Kashmir High Court ruling that set aside the selection list for 38 Forester posts in the Jammu Division. In a judgment delivered on November 26, 2025, a Bench of Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Prasanna B. Varale dismissed Civil Appeal No. 10932/2025 filed by the J&K Service Selection Board, holding that altering recruitment evaluation criteria after interviews is legally impermissible.
The case stemmed from a recruitment process where candidates with a B.Sc. Forestry degree were originally granted 25 weightage points out of 100. After interviews were completed and the selection process was almost finished, the Board revised the criteria and split the degree into two categories: three-year programs received 20 points, while four-year programs retained 25 points. Candidates with the three-year degree challenged this revision.
The Jammu & Kashmir High Court’s Division Bench had set aside the revised criteria, calling the change arbitrary and contrary to established law, relying on the Supreme Court ruling in K. Manjusree v. State of Andhra Pradesh (2008).
Before the Supreme Court, the Board argued that the change addressed genuine concerns about differences in course duration and quality, and that there were no posts left to adjust candidates successful in the writ appeals. The respondents argued that the modification, made after interviews, violated constitutional requirements of fairness and transparency and ran contrary to precedents including Tej Prakash Pathak v. High Court of Rajasthan.
The Supreme Court agreed with the Division Bench, stating that the evaluation framework cannot be revised after candidates complete all stages of the selection process. The Bench noted that the minimum qualification prescribed was only 10+2 with Science and emphasis in selection rested on physical attributes and viva voce, not advanced degrees.
Finding that the criteria change lacked transparency and rational basis, the Court held that the High Court was correct to intervene, and dismissed the appeal.
Case Information
Case: J & K Service Selection Board & Anr. vs. Sudesh Kumar & Ors.
Case No.: Civil Appeal No. 10932/2025
Coram: Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Prasanna B. Varale
Date of Judgment: November 26, 2025
