The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court halted further joining of candidates selected in the RO/ARO Recruitment Examination 2023 after allegations of improper reservation implementation, while fixing May 12 for hearing a special appeal filed by candidates challenging the selection process.
The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court has ordered an immediate stop to any further joining by candidates selected under the Review Officer (RO) and Assistant Review Officer (ARO) Recruitment Examination 2023, after allegations were raised that reservation norms were not implemented properly during the selection process.
An interim direction was issued on Friday by a division bench comprising Justice Rajan Roy and Justice Manjeev Shukla, while hearing a special appeal filed by Vivek Yadav and other candidates. The court has fixed May 12 as the next date for a detailed hearing.
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The dispute concerns recruitment carried out by the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) for the posts of Review Officer and Assistant Review Officer. The examination is one of the most competitive state-level recruitments in Uttar Pradesh and attracts a large number of applicants each year.
The present appeal challenges an earlier order dated February 1, 2026, passed by a single-judge bench of the High Court, which refused to grant interim relief to the petitioners.
Appearing for the appellants, advocate Alok Mishra argued that there were major inconsistencies in the preliminary examination results and in the way reservation rules were applied.
He contended that several candidates from the Other Backward Classes (OBC) category reportedly obtained marks higher than some candidates selected from the general category, yet were not declared successful in the preliminary stage.
Mishra further submitted to the bench that at least 25 general category candidates, who allegedly scored lower than the appellants, were allowed to participate in the mains examination. In contrast, he said OBC candidates with higher marks were not permitted to proceed to the next stage.
According to the petitioners, these discrepancies undermine fairness and equality in public recruitment and also call into question whether the commission’s selection criteria were applied correctly.
The interim stay was opposed by both the Uttar Pradesh government and the UPPSC. Counsel for the state argued that the recruitment process had already progressed significantly and that most of the candidates selected have already joined and been appointed to their respective posts.
After considering the submissions, the division bench restrained further joining of candidates while the court examines whether issues related to reservation and merit have been addressed in a proper manner. The court indicated that protecting the integrity and transparency of the recruitment process is essential while the case remains pending.
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The case has drawn widespread attention among aspirants and legal watchers, particularly because UPPSC recruitment examinations have, in recent years, repeatedly faced court scrutiny over alleged concerns involving reservation implementation, evaluation practices, and selection transparency.
With the next hearing set for May 12, the court is expected to decide whether the recruitment process followed constitutional requirements relating to reservation and equal opportunity in public employment. The final outcome may also affect appointments already made under the RO/ARO Recruitment Examination 2023 and influence how UPPSC structures future recruitment processes.
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