The Punjab and Haryana high court has sought response from the Punjab government on a plea challenging the government’s move to introduce reservation for Scheduled Caste (SCs) category candidates for appointment at state’s Advocate General office.
The high court bench of chief justice Sheel Nagu and justice Sanjiv Berry has sought the government’s response on the plea from one Vikas Bishnoi, a Panchkula resident, by August 11.
The plea seeks quashing of the advertisement issued in April this year and subsequent appointments for the posts of law officers to the AG office, claiming that it was ultra vires (beyond one’s legal power or authority), wherein the total number of contractual posts had been further bifurcated under reserved categories, which was illegal.
Seeking a fresh advertisement, the plea also says these appointments are against the rules framed under the Punjab Law officers (Engagement) Act of 2017.
As many as 57 posts were kept reserved for the SC category in the April 2025 advertisement for the first time in the state. As many as 184 law officers appointed by the government have also been arrayed as party in the case.
