State Of Uttar Pradesh vs Vijay Kumar Misra

The Supreme Court held that the High Court erred in directing the appointment of the respondent as Sub-Deputy Inspector (Basic) despite his lack of the prescribed educational qualifications at the time of application, violating the eligibility criteria established under the relevant service rules. The Court emphasized that candidates must meet the qualifications by the cut-off date, and any reliance on statements made by officials regarding merit was misplaced. Consequently, the Court set aside the judgments of both the learned single Judge and the Division Bench of the Allahabad High Court, allowing the appeal by the State of Uttar Pradesh.