As no women qualified, Punjab and Haryana HC orders 461 reserved fireman posts in Punjab to be given to men

Male candidates were required to meet height, chest, and eyesight norms and to clear three physical fitness tests, including running with a 60 kg weight, ladder lifting, and rope climbing. Women were required to meet only height and eyesight standards and were exempt from the fitness tests.

The court noted that 1,875 women appeared for the physical test, but “none of them were able to clear the same”. Results declared on February 4, 2024, showed that not a single female candidate had qualified, leaving all women-reserved posts unfilled.

The petition was filed by male candidates who had cleared the physical tests and document verification. Senior Advocate Vikas Chatrath argued that under Rule 5(3) of the Punjab Civil Services (Reservation of Posts for Women) Rules, 2020, vacancies reserved for women that remain unfilled due to non-availability of eligible candidates must be filled from other candidates of the same vertical category.

An earlier representation by the petitioners was rejected on June 28, 2024, as a related case, Jasdeep Kaur and others versus State of Punjab and others, was pending before a division bench. That case sought relaxation of physical standards for women candidates.

The division bench dismissed the petitions on September 10, 2025, holding that challenges to the rules had been raised too late, after participation in the selection process. While the bench left it open for the state to consider relaxation in future recruitments, it clarified that its observations “shall not be construed as a direction to the State to relax the Rules”.

In the present case, Justice Brar observed that “none of the female candidates could qualify the PMT (physical measurement tests) causing all the posts reserved for women to remain vacant”. The court underlined that Rule 5(3) “specifically forbids carrying forward of the unoccupied vacancies for the lack of eligible female candidates” and mandates that such posts be filled from eligible male candidates in line with vertical reservation.

‘Next eligible meritorious candidate’

The court also noted that the petitioners’ claim had not been examined on the merits earlier due to the pending case. It held that “since vacant posts have presented themselves at the end of the recruitment exercise, the same must be filled with the next eligible meritorious candidate, in absence of any eligible female candidates”.

Justice Brar relied on a 2009 division bench ruling in Gajraj Singh versus State of Haryana, which held that vacancies should be filled from the merit list if eligible candidates are available. The court also referred to its own 2025 decision in Gagandeep Singh and others versus State of Punjab and others, where similar directions were issued for filling vacant women-reserved posts.

The writ petition was disposed of with a direction to the competent authority “to fill the remaining vacant posts in accordance with the Rules of 2020”. The court did not fix a timeline for the exercise.