Rajasthan High Court - Jodhpur
Prem Suthar vs Life Insurance Corporation Of India ... on 18 April, 2026
Author: Anand Sharma
Bench: Anand Sharma
[2026:RJ-JD:18302]
HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE FOR RAJASTHAN AT
JODHPUR
S. B. Civil Writ Petition No. 8244/2026
Prem Suthar S/o Shri Kanwar Lal, Aged About 28 Years, R/o 37
Pal Balaji Ke Samne, Balaji Nagar, Pal Road, District Jodhpur,
Rajasthan.
----Petitioner
Versus
1. Life Insurance Corporation Of India, Through Chairman,
First Floor, Yogakshema Building, Central Office, Jeevan
Bima Marga, P.o. Box No. 19953, Nariman Point, Mumbai.
2. The Executive Officer (Personnel), Lief Insurance
Corporation Of India, Central - Office, Yogakshem
Building, Jeevan Bima Marg, Mumbai.
3. The Regional Manager, Life Insurance Corporation Of
India, Jeevan Prakash, 25, K.g. Marg, New Delhi -
110001.
----Respondents
For Petitioner(s) : Mr. Mohan Singh Shekhawat, Adv.
For Respondent(s) : Mr. Rajeev Purohit, Adv.
Mr. Shashank R. Joshi, Adv.
HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE ANAND SHARMA
Judgment 18/04/2026
1. Petitioner has filed this writ petition with following prayers:-
"It is, therefore, humbly and respectfully prayed that this writ petition of the petitioner may kindly be allowed: -
A. By an appropriate writ, order or direction, any order denying the petitioner to participated in interview process and selection and appointment for the post of Assistant Administrative Officers pursuance of the advertisement dated 16.08.2025 (Annex.-1) may kindly be quashed and set aside.
(Uploaded on 20/04/2026 at 11:00:00 AM) (Downloaded on 20/04/2026 at 04:33:06 PM) [2026:RJ-JD:18302] (2 of 6) [CW-8244/2026] B. By an appropriate writ, order or direction list of candidates shortlisted for pre recruitment medical examination 09.04.2026 (Annex.-10) may kindly be quashed and set aside.
C. By an appropriate writ, order or direction, the respondents may kindly be directed to conduct the interview process to the petitioner for the post of Assistant Administrative Officers against his respective category of OBC in pursuance of the advertisement dated 16.08.2025 (Annex.-1).
D. By an appropriate writ, order or direction, the respondents may kindly be directed to consider the candidature of the petitioner for selection and appointment on the post of Assistant Administrative Officers in pursuance of the advertisement dated 16.08.2025 (Annex.-1) if he was otherwise eligible.
E. By an appropriate writ order or direction, the respondents may kindly be directed to permit the petitioner in the further selection process and provide appointment to him on the post of Assistant Administrative Officers in pursuance of the advertisement dated 16.08.2025 with all consequential benefits.
F. Any other appropriate writ, order or direction which this Hon'ble Court may deem just and proper in the facts and circumstances of the case may kindly be passed in favour of the petitioner.
G. Writ petition filed by the petitioner may kindly be allowed with costs."
2. It is stated that the respondents initiated recruitment process for the post of Assistant Administrative Officers (AAO) Generalist-32nd Batch. The petitioner, being eligible, submitted application form for participating in the selection process. The examinations were to be conducted in two phases i.e. preliminary examination and main examination. The candidates, for the (Uploaded on 20/04/2026 at 11:00:00 AM) (Downloaded on 20/04/2026 at 04:33:06 PM) [2026:RJ-JD:18302] (3 of 6) [CW-8244/2026] purpose of their identification, were also required to undergo biometric verification.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the petitioner appeared in preliminary as well as main examination and secured sufficient marks so as to being eligible for participating in the interview process. At the time of preliminary as well as main examination, the petitioner, for the purpose of biometric authentication, was required to put his thumb impression. At the time of interview also, he underwent the same biometric authentication process. However, on account of skin peeling due to suffering from keratolytic exfoliativa, which is a kind of seasonal eczema, petitioner's thumb impression did not match with the earlier thumb impression, thereupon, the petitioner was disqualified.
4. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that immediately thereafter, the petitioner submitted representation and informed the respondents with regard to temporary skin problem suffered by him, which has caused mismatch of thumb impression and further submitted that any other method of biometric authentication be adopted so that proper verification may be made. Thereafter also, the petitioner got himself examined by Medical Board comprising of three medical experts in the field of Skin and Dermatology of MDM Government Hospital, Jodhpur, who also certified that on account of aforesaid seasonal disease, namely keratolytic exfoliativa, the petitioner has lost his finger prints, which may cause interference in biometric verification. Learned counsel submits that other selected candidates are being sent for pre-recruitment medical examination (Uploaded on 20/04/2026 at 11:00:00 AM) (Downloaded on 20/04/2026 at 04:33:06 PM) [2026:RJ-JD:18302] (4 of 6) [CW-8244/2026] and the petitioner, who has otherwise secured sufficient marks, may not be deprived of his legitimate right only on account of seasonal skin disease causing temporary interference in biometric attendance.
5. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that now, the seasonal disease has improved and the petitioner is in a position to undergo biometric authentication/verification.
6. Learned counsel for the respondents opposed the writ petition and submitted that in the recruitment notification itself, the respondents have specified that biometric data of the respective candidates shall be captured on different occasions during the recruitment process. It has also been made clear that decision of biometric data verification authority with regard to its status (matched or mismatched) shall be final and binding upon the candidates. Candidates, whose biometric does not match at any stage of selection, will not be allowed in the next stage of recruitment. In the instant case, at the time of recruitment, despite repeated attempts, thumb impression/finger prints of the petitioner did not match with the earlier data captured by the respondents. Hence, in view of the specific condition in the recruitment notification, the respondents have every right to decline permission to the petitioner for appearing in the next stage of recruitment.
7. Heard learned counsel for the parties and perused the material on record.
8. Dispute in the instant writ petition revolves around mismatching of biometric data of the petitioner, which was (Uploaded on 20/04/2026 at 11:00:00 AM) (Downloaded on 20/04/2026 at 04:33:06 PM) [2026:RJ-JD:18302] (5 of 6) [CW-8244/2026] collected during the initial stage of recruitment examination as well as on the date of interview.
9. Petitioner has come out with a case that on account of suffering from the temporary disease, which is seasonal in nature and causes peeling of skin, the petitioner lost his finger prints, which has ultimately resulted in mismatching of data.
10. Learned counsel for the petitioner, on instructions from the petitioner, has submitted that now the petitioner has improved from aforesaid disease and skin of his fingers/thumb is all right, therefore, the petitioner is ready to again undergo biometric authentication process.
11. It is a well established scientific principle that finger prints of a person do not change during his/her entire life. Yet under the circumstances, where on account of temporary seasonal disease, the petitioner suffered problem of skin peeling, possibility of mismatching of biometric data relating to finger prints cannot be ruled out.
12. Under these circumstances, this Court deems it just and proper to dispose of this writ petition at this stage with directions to the petitioner to appear before the Biometric Data Verification Authority of the respondents on 23.04.2026. Biometric Data Verification Authority of the respondents shall carry out process of biometric authentication/verification of the petitioner by taking his fingers/thumb prints. In case, on such reverification, the biometric data of the petitioner matches with the earlier data collected by the respondents, then the respondents shall permit the petitioner to participate in further process of recruitment on the post of Assistant Administrative Officers (AAO) Generalist-
(Uploaded on 20/04/2026 at 11:00:00 AM) (Downloaded on 20/04/2026 at 04:33:06 PM) [2026:RJ-JD:18302] (6 of 6) [CW-8244/2026] 32nd Batch and in case, he is otherwise found suitable, appointment shall also be given to him subject to fulfillment of all the criteria of appointment.
13. It is made clear that in case, even after re-verification of biometric data of the petitioner, it does not match with the earlier data collected by the respondents, petitioner shall have no right to seek appointment pursuant to the aforesaid notification.
14. The writ petition stands disposed of with the aforesaid directions.
15. Pending application(s), if any, stand(s) disposed of.
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