Why fluctuating blood pressure isn’t enough to disqualify CRPF candidate: Gauhati High Court rebukes medical board

Justice Shamima Jahan said that only by measuring the blood pressure of the petitioner, which was found to be fluctuating, could the candidature of the petitioner be rejected.

The order added that it is also seen that either the tests were not done or the reports of the said tests were not considered while declaring the petitioner unfit in the said examination.

Non-compliance with 2021 guidelines

• It is not in dispute that the petitioner had successfully passed all other preceding examinations and that in the Detailed Medical Examination, he was found to be unfit, to which he applied for a review medical examination.
• It is provided in the guidelines, namely Uniform Guidelines for Medical Examination Test (MET) for recruitment in CAPFs, NSG and AR, more specifically, in Clause No 6, that Hypertension is a ground for rejection of appointment to such post, and in the revised guidelines promulgated on May 31, 2021.
• A careful reading of the revised guidelines would show that the review medical examination board should admit the candidate, whose case has been rejected by the detailed medical board on grounds of Hypertension, to a hospital and get all the tests done, and should also see the cause of the blood pressure and then give a final opinion.
• By a conjoint reading of Guideline No 6 and 7, it can be deduced that the review medical board may also obtain the opinion of concern specialist or super specialist of the Government Medical College in cases of doubt.
• It can be further deduced that while rejecting the candidature by the review medical examination board, the clinical findings given by the super specialist or the specialist should be corroborated with the test reports.
• The said exercise seems not to have been done in the instant case, which is discernible from the affidavit filed in the instant matter.
• Under clause 7 of the said revised guidelines, certain examples are cited for the guidance of the review medical board, and in the same, in subclause ‘e’, it is provided that for candidates who have been rejected on grounds of hypertension, they should be admitted to a hospital by the board.
• Then, after obtaining all the reports, such as whether his blood pressure is of a transient nature due to excitement or whether it is due to any disease, and all other reports which are mandatory in nature, the board should give its final opinion regarding the candidate’s fitness or otherwise.

Disqualified for hypertension, claim of excitement

The petitioner has prayed for setting aside the report of the Review Medical Board dated November 19, 2025, by which the petitioner was declared unfit to join the post of constable in the CRPF.

The petitioner was also seeking a direction to the authorities to re-evaluate the fitness of the petitioner in accordance with the guidelines for medical examination dated May 5, 2021.

The case of the petitioner is that, pursuant to an advertisement dated September 5, 2024, published by the Staff Selection Commission for the recruitment of constables in CRPF and Riflemen in Assam Rifles and some other posts applied along with other candidates. Thereafter, the petitioner appeared in the computer-based test, where he came out successful.

The petitioner further stated that, after the declaration of the select list, he appeared in the Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET), where he was declared successful.

Thereafter, the petitioner was required to appear for the Detailed Medical Examination (DME), but during this test in November 2025, he was declared medically unfit on account of hypertension. His subsequent RME corroborated the initial finding og fluctuating blood pressure leading to his final rejection.

Arguments of parties

Appearing for the petitioner, advocates R Bora and R Medhi submitted that as per the guidelines, the review medical board is required to obtain an opinion from a specialist or super specialist of the Government Medical College and Hospital in case of any doubt with regard to the medical condition of the candidate.

Representing the state, standing counsel S Baruah submitted that the petitioner was found unfit by the review medical examination board on November 21, 2025, and as such, his case was rejected for appointment as a constable in the Central Armed Police Force.