A week before the written examination for seven group-A vacancies for scientists at premier Wildlife Institute of India in Dehradun, Bharti Arora’s application was rejected by the institute for lack of “supporting documents” for her experience after PhD. Arora, a staffer at the WII for the past 15 months, then approached the Delhi high court. Her application was reinstated, with the court allowing her to appear for the July 10 examination. 

But Arora’s case wasn’t isolated. WII’s screening committee junked a total of 221 of the 352 applications it received for the seven posts – making up 63 percent of the total candidates. 

Its list of eliminated candidates, published on July 3, stated varied reasons for their rejection, which the students termed “absurd”: missing supporting documents, old caste certificate, incorrect experience letter, and unattested photographs, among others. The application forms were submitted offline between April 25 and June 15 at the WII office.      

Amid internet outrage over the rejections and demand for a correction window, WII director Virendra R Tiwari told Newslaundry that the institute was following “rules”. Tiwari said there was no plan to allow applicants to sit for the exams if they had not provided supporting documents. “Any judgment is applicable to the petitioner only,” he said, referring to the Delhi high court’s decision on Bharati Arora’s plea. He added that notwithstanding the row, WII would go ahead with the written exam scheduled for July 10.

Meanwhile, applicants took to social media to criticise the “bureacratic approach” towards the selection of scientists, and demanded a “correction window” on the lines of the UPSC application process. After the last date of submission of application, the UPSC allows a few days’ time for the applicants to make corrections, if any, to their applications. The WII has not provided such an option.  

Rohit Chakravarty, one of the applicants, tweeted that the WII had reportedly rejected “70 applications for not submitting supporting documents” even as it had not explicitly requested for the same. Chakravarty, whose application was rejected for not submitting an attested photograph and not providing supporting documents, alleged that for WII’s selection committee, extra documents took precedence over the students’ scientific credentials. He demanded that an online recruitment process be set up to do away with ambiguity.

Another applicant called the reasons for rejections “absurd” and insisted that no documents were officially requested.

A scientist with WII, who has been privy to the institute’s recruitment process, said that the selection committee’s decision was unprecedented. “How will the premier institute hire the best of the best when 63 percent of the applicants have been rejected even before the written exam and interview. This is unprecedented.” 

The official, who wanted to remain anonymous, said that earlier the institute never rejected applications on the basis of non-attested photos or office orders submitted instead of experience certificates. “In 2018, WII came up with similar vacancies and no application was rejected on the basis of the reasons listed this time.” 

Office orders, issued by government institutes, contain the name of the researcher and his service period for which they have been hired. Under the current recruitment process, the WII did not consider office orders as an experience certificate. As per the eligibility criteria for the vacant posts, applicants with an MSc degree needed three years of experience and those with PhD required one year of experience.

Newslaundry spoke to six applicants who were researchers and students at WII and Forest Research Institute – one of whom was the son of an anganwadi worker, another of a jewellery artisan and a third of a farmer. One of the students who pinned their hopes on the WII vacancy, said this was his last chance as he would exceed the age limit next year. “The reason for rejection was that my photograph was not attested… this was my last chance. I won’t be able to sit for the exam the next time as I’ll be overage.” 

An OBC candidate said his application was rejected because his caste certificate was a year old. “Nowhere the institute mentioned that certificates should be issued within a year.”

Another student’s application was rejected for not providing a birth certificate. “They said a class 10 certificate will not be considered and I need to furnish my birth certificate. Everywhere it works but not at WII.” 

Students met the institute’s director over their grievances and also wrote to secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Leena Nandan demanding a correction window. While the director refused, the secretary has not yet replied to their email. 

“I kindly request you to intervene in this matter and grant us a correction window to address such minor issues,” read one of the student’s mail to the MoEFCC secretary. Newslaundry reached out to the environment ministry over the matter. This report will be updated on receiving a response.