New Delhi, August 5, 2025 

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Union Government and the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) on a writ petition challenging the validity of ONGC’s recruitment policy which provides relaxation in minimum height requirements for candidates belonging to Scheduled Tribes (STs) and notified hill areas.

The matter was heard by a bench comprising Justice Manoj Misra and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan, which sought responses from ONGC and the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas on the petition filed by P. Ashok Kumar, a recruitment aspirant.

The petitioner contended that ONGC’s differential physical eligibility norms  allowing a relaxed height requirement of 152 cm for men and 145 cm for women for ST and hill area candidates, as opposed to 163 cm and 152 cm respectively for others  are arbitrary, discriminatory, and in violation of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality before the law.

The petition argued that ONGC has not placed any scientific or operational justification on record to support the physical standard disparity, especially for roles requiring field work and physical competence. According to the plea, such relaxation undermines a merit-based selection and could potentially compromise safety and efficiency in operational roles.

Seeking the quashing of the relaxed height clause, the petition submitted that the public sector undertaking has failed to demonstrate why geographic or tribal status should determine physical eligibility, especially in a national-level recruitment drive for uniform posts.

After hearing brief arguments, the Supreme Court issued notice to the respondents and tagged the matter with other similar petitions pending before the Court. The bench clarified that the issuance of notice at this stage does not reflect any opinion on the merits of the case.

ONGC is likely to defend the policy as a longstanding affirmative action measure, aligned with constitutional values aimed at enhancing inclusion and representation of marginalized communities in public employment.

The case will be taken up again after the respondents file their replies.

Case Title: P. Ashok Kumar v. Union of India & Ors.