Summary: Two students, Sushant Bhausaheb Sarode and Sahil Sanjay Patil, win a court case allowing them to continue in the recruitment process for the Central Armed Police Forces after being initially disqualified for being slightly shorter than the required height.
Sushant Bhausaheb Sarode and Sahil Sanjay Patil, both 21-year-old students, were aspiring to join the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs). They faced a setback when they were disqualified from the recruitment process because they were slightly shorter than the required height.
The recruitment process had three stages: a Computer Based Examination (CBT), a Physical Standard Test (PST) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET), and a Detailed Medical Examination (DME). Both students passed the CBT and PET but were disqualified in the PST because of height requirements.
Sushant's height was recorded at 164.7 cm and Sahil's at 164.6 cm, both just under the 165 cm requirement for their category. They were given rejection slips in August 2025, which led them to seek help from the court.
"The Petitioners are entitled to the relaxation in terms of clause 2(d) of the 'Revised Uniform Guidelines' dated 20th May 2015."
Their lawyer argued that according to the guidelines, any height measurement of 0.5 cm or more should be rounded up to the next centimeter. This argument was supported by previous court decisions in similar cases.
Judges Ashwin D. Bhobe and Ravindra V. Ghuge ruled in favor of the students. They decided that the guidelines for measuring height should be used at the PST stage, not just during the DME.
"Disqualifying the Petitioners... is illegal and arbitrary."
The court ordered that Sushant and Sahil's heights be rounded up to 165 cm, making them eligible for the next stage of the recruitment process. This decision ensures that guidelines are applied fairly and consistently throughout recruitment stages.
