Natural justice and delay: rejection of an eligibility certificate was quashed for lack of hearing, and delay did not defeat relief.

An administrative rejection of an eligibility certificate was held unsustainable because it was made without affording the affected party a hearing; the decision was quashed and the matter remitted for fresh consideration in accordance with law. The Court also rejected delay as a bar, finding that a delay of about one year and six months, without demonstrated prejudice to the respondents, did not justify refusal of relief. The petition therefore succeeded, and the impugned decision did not survive.

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Issues: (i) whether the decision of the Higher Level Screening Committee rejecting the claim for grant of eligibility certificate was vitiated for want of opportunity of hearing and had to be quashed; (ii) whether the writ petition was liable to be refused on the ground of delay in approaching the Court.

Issue (i): whether the decision of the Higher Level Screening Committee rejecting the claim for grant of eligibility certificate was vitiated for want of opportunity of hearing and had to be quashed.

Analysis: The decision assailed in the petition was found to have been rendered without affording an opportunity of hearing. The challenge was treated as covered by the earlier decision in a similar matter, and the Court held that such denial of hearing rendered the administrative decision illegal.

Conclusion: The decision of the Higher Level Screening Committee was held to be illegal and was quashed, with a direction to pass a fresh order in accordance with law.

Issue (ii): whether the writ petition was liable to be refused on the ground of delay in approaching the Court.

Analysis: The Court declined to treat the delay of about one year and six months as fatal, observing that no prejudice had been shown to have been caused to the respondents by the late filing of the petition.

Conclusion: The objection based on delay was rejected and did not defeat the petition.

Final Conclusion: The petition succeeded, the impugned administrative rejection did not survive, and the matter was sent back for reconsideration in accordance with law.

Ratio Decidendi: An administrative decision affecting entitlement cannot be sustained where it is made without affording a hearing, and delay will not by itself bar relief unless it causes prejudice or otherwise defeats the claim in equity.

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