The Punjab and Haryana High Court has sought a response from the Punjab government on a petition challenging its decision to introduce reservations for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates in appointments to the office of the state’s Advocate General (AG).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry issued notice to the state government on a petition filed by Vikas Bishnoi, a resident of Panchkula. The court has directed the government to file its reply by August 11.
The plea challenges an advertisement issued in April 2025, which for the first time reserved 57 out of 184 contractual posts of law officers in the AG’s office for the SC category. Bishnoi has also arrayed all 184 appointed law officers as respondents in the case.
Calling the move ultra vires, the petition argues that such reservation in appointments violates the provisions of the Punjab Law Officers (Engagement) Act, 2017, and the Constitution, particularly Article 16(4), which pertains to reservation in public employment.
The petition maintains that the post of a law officer is neither a civil post nor public employment, but a contractual professional engagement. As such, it argues that the state government does not have an employer-employee relationship with law officers, and hence reservations applicable to public employment cannot be extended to such positions.
“Extending reservation to contractual or temporary posts is a contentious issue that undermines meritocracy, administrative efficiency, and opens a Pandora’s box for similar reservations across other states,” the plea states.
The petitioner has demanded that the April advertisement and all appointments made under it be quashed, and that a fresh recruitment notification be issued without reserved categories for professional engagements.
The case is now slated for further hearing after the government’s response on August 11.
