CAT permits 2 candidates for AP (Child Psychologist) interview

Srinagar, Sep 07: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in Srinagar has directed the Public Service Commission (PSC) to allow two candidates to participate in the interview process for the post of Assistant Professor (Child Psychologist) scheduled for September 9.

Issuing notice to the PSC for its response to the main plea by one Aijaz Ahmad and another, a division bench of M S Latif Member (J) and Prasant Kumar Member (A) granted interim relief to the two candidates.

Advocate Shah Amir accepted the notice on behalf of the PSC.

“He (PSC’s counsel) is granted two weeks to file his detailed response and to preserve the list till the objections are filed, the applicants shall be allowed to participate in the interview scheduled to be held on 09-09-2024 at their own risk and responsibility,” the tribunal said.

However, the tribunal held that mere participation in the interview process shall not confer any preferential right upon the two candidates to claim their appointment even as it ordered that the result of the duo not be declared unless otherwise directed.

The case of the two candidates is that the PSC issued an advertisement notification dated December 30, 2022, wherein the posts of Assistant Professor came to be advertised in various disciplines for Govt Medical College, Udhampur, and Handwara.

The commission also issued an advertisement notification dated December 30, 2022, in terms of which posts of Assistant Professor also came to be advertised in various disciplines for Govt. Medical College, Anantnag, Doda, Kathua and Rajouri.

In terms of the advertisement notices, the two aggrieved candidates along with others applied for the post of Child Psychologist in the said Medical Colleges.

Counsel for the candidates submitted that the two candidates were eligible to apply for the post, and were declared to have qualified for Oral Test in terms of the notification dated April 29, 2024.

He submits that instead of calling the candidates to appear in the viva voce, a notice dated June 26, 2024, was issued whereby their candidature for the post had been rejected.

In their plea, the candidates have challenged the notification rejecting their candidature and at the same time they have sought the court’s intervention to treat them as eligible candidates for the post of Assistant Professor (Child Psychologist) as had been done in the case of a candidate Mudassir Hassan in the year 2019.

The aggrieved candidates also seek direction to allow them to appear in the interview process for the post of Assistant Professor (Child Psychologist) which is scheduled on September 9, 2024.