The Delhi High Court has recently issued a notice regarding a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that questions the recruitment process for Young Professionals by the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). The petition asserts that the EPFO assigns a special weightage of 15 to 30 marks out of a total of 100 for candidates who have obtained their law degrees from one of the top 40 National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF) Institutes.
The argument put forth is that this criterion discriminates against institutions affiliated with the Central and various State Governments that do not rank within the top 40 NIRF Institutes. Furthermore, it is argued that such practices violate Fundamental Rights guaranteed by the Constitution of India.
A Bench consisting of Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyay and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela has directed the concerned Ministry of the Central Government to respond, with the hearing scheduled for April 23. The petition emphasizes the importance of evaluation and selection criteria, asserting that the weightage assigned to marks is crucial. It contends that this particular criterion not only infringes upon the rights of institutions functioning under the aegis of the Central Government and other State Governments that do not meet the top 40 NIRF benchmark but also constitutes a clear contravention of Fundamental Rights articulated in Articles 14 and 16 of Part III of the Constitution of India.