Chandigarh, July 14 — The Punjab and Haryana High Court has issued a notice to the Punjab government on a petition challenging its recent decision to introduce reservation for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates in the appointment of law officers to the state’s Advocate General (AG) office.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry has asked the state to respond by August 11 to the petition filed by Vikas Bishnoi, a resident of Panchkula. The plea seeks to quash the government’s April 2025 advertisement that introduced, for the first time, reservation of 57 posts for SC candidates out of the total contractual appointments in the AG office.
The petitioner contends that the move is “ultra vires” — beyond the government’s legal authority — and violates provisions of the Punjab Law Officers (Engagement) Act, 2017. According to the plea, law officers appointed in the AG’s office are not government employees but professionals on contract, and therefore not covered under Article 16(4) of the Constitution, which provides for reservation in public employment.
“There is no employer-employee relationship between the state and the law officers,” the petition reads. “These are not civil posts. The engagement is purely contractual and professional, not public service.” It also argues that applying caste-based reservation in such appointments undermines merit and sets a precedent that could affect similar posts across other states.
The plea also names all 184 law officers appointed under the advertisement as respondents in the case, saying the appointments violate established legal norms and merit-based criteria.
“Extending reservation to contractual or temporary posts is a contentious issue that undermines meritocracy and administrative efficiency,” the plea states, warning it may “open a Pandora’s box” for similar policies across the country.
The case is expected to raise significant constitutional questions around the scope of reservation in non-traditional public roles and the legal boundaries of state discretion in professional appointments.
