PRATIGYA SHARMA vs AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA

IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI Decided on 23.04.2025 W.P.(C) 17783/2024 PRATIGYA SHARMA .....Petitioner Through: Mr. Alok Raj and Mr. Baliram Kumar Thakur, Advocates. versus AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA .....Respondent Through: Mr. Digvijay Rai, Mr. Archit Mishra, Advocates with Mr. Yatinder Singh, Law Officer for AAI. CORAM: HON’BLE MR. JUSTICE PRATEEK JALAN PRATEEK JALAN, J (ORAL) 1. The petitioner has filed this writ petition under Article 226 of the Constitution, challenging the cancellation of her candidature for appointment as a Junior Executive (Air Traffic Control) in the respondent - Airports Authority of India [“AAI”] in the Other Backward Classes-Non Creamy Layer [“OBC-NCL”] category. A. Facts: 2. By way of advertisement No. 05/2023 issued on 14.10.2023, AAI invited applications for 496 vacancies in the post of Junior Executive (Air Traffic Control). 140 vacancies were reserved for OBC-NCL category. The instructions, which were part of the recruitment notification, included the following provision with regard to the OBC Category: “7. IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS: xxx xxx xxx 3. As is commonly found in such advertisements, it also contained specific instructions that ca