Neutral Citation No. - 2025:AHC-LKO:30228 Court No. - 18 Case :- WRIT - A No. - 5578 of 2025 Petitioner :- Arti Yadav Respondent :- State Of U.P. Thru. Prin. Secy. Deptt. Child Development Services And Nutrition Lko. And 5 Others Counsel for Petitioner :- Rahul Kumar Shukla,Sandeep Kumar Shukla,Shivam Srivastava,Vibhuti Shukla Counsel for Respondent :- C.S.C. Hon'ble Karunesh Singh Pawar,J. 1. Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and learned Standing Counsel for respondent nos. 1 to 4. 2. This petition has been filed by the petitioner seeking the following main reliefs: "i. Issue a writ, order, or direction in the nature of certiorari quashing the impugned order dated 29.04.2025 (Annexure No. 1) passed by the District Programme Officer, District Bahraich, in the interest of justice. ii. Issue a writ, order, or direction in the nature of mandamus directing the respondents, particularly respondent nos. 2 to 4, to consider the petitioner for the post of Anganwadi Worker for the Noorpur-4 center, treating her as eligible under the widow category as per Government Order dated 21.03.2023, in the interest of justice. iii. Issue a writ, order, or direction restraining the respondent authorities from proceeding further with the selection process for the said post until the candidature of the petitioner is considered afresh in a fair and legal manner, in the interest of justice." 3. A perusal of the impugned order (Annexure-1 to the writ petition) shows that the death certificate relied upon by the petitioner was issued on 07.02.2025, whereas the last date for submission of the application for the post of Anganwadi Karyakatri was 09.01.2025. Since the death certificate was issued after the cutoff date, the petitioner’s claim for preference under the widow category could not be entertained in light of the provisions contained in paragraph 4 of the Government Order dated 21.03.2023. 4. Accordingly, no preference could be granted to the petitioner on the basis of her widow status. It is evident that the petitioner was not excluded from the selection process; rather, her application was duly considered. However, the candidate selected from Noorpur-4 belonged to the BPL category and had a higher merit score of 14.703. The second BPL candidate had a merit score of 11.043, whereas the petitioner, belonging to the APL category, secured a merit score of 7.82. Since the petitioner had lower merit in comparison to both candidates, she was not called for physical verification. Revelvant protion from the impugned order (Annexure-1) is extracted below:- "ययाचची आरतची ययादव कके प्रत्ययावकेदन ददनयानांक 15.04.2025 कके सयाथ सनांलग्न दवधवया प्रमयाण पत/ममृत्यय प्रमयाण पत ददनयानांक 07.02.2025 कको जयारची हह, जको दक आनांगनबयाडची कयायरकतची पद हकेतय ऑनलयाइन आवकेदन दकए जयानके ककी अनांदतम दतथथ ददनयानांक 09.01.2025 कके बयाद कया हकोनके कके कयारण शयासनयादकेश ददनयानांक 21.03.2023 कके प्रस्तर-4 मम वदणरत प्रयावधयान कके अनयसयार स्वचीकयार यकोग्य नहहीं हह। ऐसची सस्थदत मम ययाचची कको दवधवया हकोनके कके आधयार पर चयन मम वरचीयतया नहहीं दची जया सकतची। ययाचची कको चयन प्रदक्रियया सके बयाहर नहहीं दकयया गयया हह ; इनकके आवकेदन पर दवचयार दकयया गयया हह। ननूरपयर-4 सके बचीपचीएल शकेणची ककी प्रथम वरचीयतया ककी अभ्यथर्थी कया मकेररट अनांक 14.703 व बचीपचीएल शकेणची ककी दद्वितचीय वरचीयतया ककी अभ्यथर्थी कया मकेररट अनांक 11.043 हह, जबदक ययाचची आरतची ययादव कया एपचीएल शकेणची मम मकेररट अनांक 7.82 हह। प्रथम व दद्वितचीय वरचीयतया ककी अभ्यथर्थी ककी अपकेकया मकेररट अनांक कम हकोनके कके कयारण ययाचची कको अदभिलकेख सत्ययापन हकेतय नहहीं बयलयायया गयया।" 5. In view of the above, the petition is liable to be dismissed on the ground that the petitioner failed to fulfill the eligibility criteria for widow- category preference as on the last date of application, and her merit position did not entitle her to further consideration under the general selection process. 6. In view of the above, the petition is dismissed with the reasons stated above. Order Date :- 21.5.2025 Madhu D.R/P.S Digitally signed by :- MADHU KUMARI High Court of Judicature at Allahabad, Lucknow Bench