In a significant ruling for government and public sector employees, the Orissa High Court has declared that a High School Certificate (HSC) must be considered the ultimate and authentic proof of an individual's date of birth for all employment-related matters. The judgment emphasizes that the HSC, which is based on the official school admission register, overrides any other records maintained by an employer.
Court Slams FCI's "Illegal" Stance, Orders Record Correction
The ruling was delivered by Justice Biraja Prasanna Satapathy on November 28, while hearing the case of Prabir Kumar Muduli, an employee of the Food Corporation of India (FCI). The court set aside FCI's refusal to correct Muduli's date of birth in its service records. Justice Satapathy directed the corporation to update all its records within two months of receiving the court order, labeling FCI's rejection as "illegal" and "unsustainable."
The court mandated that Muduli's date of birth be corrected to April 27, 1972, as per his HSC certificate, in all official documents. It further ordered FCI to take all necessary follow-up actions, which includes allowing him to continue in service based on the corrected date. This ensures he will not face premature retirement based on an erroneous entry.
A Long-Standing Error and a Delayed Request
The case stemmed from a clerical error dating back to Muduli's appointment. He had joined FCI as a Mate/WMC System Worker on January 17, 1991. At the time of joining, his date of birth was mistakenly recorded as August 5, 1966.
However, a year after joining, Muduli appeared as an ex-regular candidate in the October 1992 HSC examination. The certificate issued to him, which reflected the details from his school admission register, confirmed his correct date of birth as April 27, 1972. In 2009, Muduli formally submitted an affidavit affirming this date and requested FCI to correct his personal details.
Court Rejects "Belated Plea" Argument
The FCI rejected his request on December 26, 2022, arguing that the application was filed too late—approximately 18 years after he entered service and 13 years after his initial representation in 2009. The corporation treated the plea as belated.
The High Court found this reasoning deeply flawed and "without proper appreciation" of the official school record. Justice Satapathy calculated that even if the 2009 request was considered the starting point, Muduli was still 17 years away from his retirement in 2026. Therefore, the request could not be legitimately treated as belated, as it was made well before his superannuation, allowing ample time for the organization to act.
This judgment sets a clear precedent, reinforcing the primacy of the HSC certificate—a foundational educational document—over internal service record errors. It provides relief to numerous employees who may be battling similar discrepancies that could affect their service tenure and retirement benefits.
