Open-Merit Candidates Must Migrate at Screening Stage

The Allahabad High Court has ruled that reserved-category candidates scoring above the open cut-off must be counted in the unreserved list at the screening stage when screening marks contribute to final merit. A division bench of Justices Rajan Roy and Manjive Shukla set aside a recruitment condition postponing migration until final selection. The court found that the state commission’s general 2020 memorandum did not govern the recruitment and directed the commission to reconsider that policy for future exercises within three months. The state was also told to clarify its position through a lawful policy. Candidates who clear the unreserved screening threshold must now be placed in the open category. Participation in the process did not bar a constitutional challenge to an allegedly discriminatory rule. The appeal was allowed on 29 September 2026.