Fairness in public recruitment is essential to upholding constitutional guarantees of equal opportunity, Supreme Court judge Justice Vikram Nath said on Monday, stressing that selection commissions must safeguard merit and ensure that appointments are free from influence and favouritism.
He was speaking after unveiling a statue of Swami Vivekananda and inaugurating the ‘Aditya Patanjali Yogpeetham’ on the commission premises. He added that candidates appearing for examinations placed their faith in the assurance of a fair opportunity. Protecting this trust was among the most important responsibilities of a selection commission. Justice Nath expressed satisfaction that the UPPSC was discharging its constitutional responsibilities and setting an excellent benchmark for commissions across the country. Commission member Major General Manoj Kumar gave a presentation on the UPPSC’s modern working methods and transparent procedures. Senior-most member AK Verma delivered the vote of thanks. During the visit, Justice Nath inspected ‘Bodhi Sangam’, a space developed to inspire aspirants and encourage introspection before they embark on their professional journeys. He also visited the ‘Haldighati Shaurya Sthal’, which features a replica of the Dandi March, statues of freedom fighters and the national emblem, the Ashoka Pillar. He interacted with commission officials and employees. Former Supreme Court judge Justice Ashok Bhushan, Allahabad high court judges Justices Rahul Chaturvedi, Ajit Singh and Rajiv Lochan Mehrotra, Prayagraj district magistrate Manish Kumar Verma, and police commissioner Piyush Mordia were among those present.
Referring to Article 16 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality of opportunity in matters of public employment, he said the true value of a constitutional provision lay not merely in its existence but in its effective implementation. Justice Nath also inaugurated 12 newly constructed residential units at ‘Vrindavan Officers Awas’ and released the commission’s official calendar.
Addressing a programme at the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) headquarters in Prayagraj, Justice Nath said a fair selection process assures candidates that public posts are awarded on the basis of ability, knowledge, judgment and suitability. “When a commission evaluates candidates against uniform standards and results are determined on merit, constitutional equality becomes more than a principle; it becomes part of a citizen’s rights,” he said. Merit could be meaningfully respected only when the process of identifying it was fair and capable of earning public confidence, he said. Welcoming him, UPPSC chairman Sanjay Shrinet said that although the judiciary and selection institutions had different areas of functioning, they shared the same institutional commitment to public trust. “While courts provide citizens with the legal assurance of justice, selection institutions give them the constitutional assurance of equal opportunity,” Shrinet said.
Officials and employees were honoured for their exemplary service. Those felicitated included under-secretary Omkarnath Singh, senior attendant Prem Chandra Maurya, private secretary Shrinath, section officers Prakash Chandra Singh, Dinesh Pratap Pandey and Ramesh Kumar Bharti, review officer Virendra Singh, and senior attendant Phool Chandra.
