Authority: High Court of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla

Order Date: 11 August 2026

Case Overview

  • Petitioner Advik Thakur filed writ petition CWP No.6175 of 2026 on 21‑April‑2026 challenging actions of the Sainik School Society and the National Testing Agency (NTA) concerning the All‑India Sainik Schools Entrance Examination (AISSEE) 2026.
  • Public notice dated 10‑Oct‑2025 invited online applications for AISSEE 2026; correction window initially allowed from 02‑Nov‑2025 to 04‑Nov‑2025. Examination held on 18‑Jan‑2026, results declared on 27‑Feb‑2026. Thakur scored 256/300 and was initially placed 15th in the Home‑Unreserved (general) category for Class VI at Sainik School Sujanpur Tihra (17 seats available).
  • Respondents opened multiple correction windows after the exam and after result declaration:
  • 22‑Jan‑2026 to 21‑Feb‑2026
  • 21‑Feb‑2026 to 28‑Feb‑2026 (extended to 23:50 hrs on 28‑Feb‑2026)
  • 28‑Feb‑2026, 10:00 hrs‑23:50 hrs (post‑result)
  • 30‑Mar‑2026 05:00 hrs‑01‑Apr‑2026 23:50 hrs (post‑medical fitness)
  • During the last window, four candidates (Akshaj Sharma, Ajitesh Sharma, Arnav Jaswal, Shaurya Chauhan) changed their applied‑for category from Home‑Defense to Home‑General, pushing Thakur’s rank down to 23rd and eliminating his admission.
  • Respondents argued the windows were linked to the registration process and were justified by a Delhi High Court order (WP(C) No. 3469/2026, decided 27‑Mar‑2026). The public notice of 27‑Mar‑2026 stated the extension was a “one‑time, child‑centric” measure for candidates who missed the earlier registration period.
  • The Court examined the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for All‑India Sainik Schools Admission Counselling (AISSAC‑2026). Clause 2 of the SOP provides a single, irrevocable correction opportunity during registration; no further changes are permitted thereafter.
  • The Court held that allowing already‑registered candidates to alter category after result declaration violated the SOP, the principle that “rules of the game cannot be changed midway,” and caused prejudice to the petitioner.
  • The Court noted that, if the four candidates’ category changes were ignored, Thakur would have been 19th; further, two other candidates in the merit list had not undergone medical fitness and should be removed, which would have placed Thakur at 17th, making him eligible for admission.
  • The Court rejected the respondents’ reliance on Clause 27 of the SOP (which permits creation of super‑numerary seats in case of seat shortage) as insufficient justification for the illegal correction windows.

Final Outcome

  • The High Court directs the respondents to create a super‑numerary seat for Advik Thakur in Class VI at Sainik School Sujanpur Tihra.
  • The seat creation must be completed within one week of the order.
  • A compliance list is to be filed by 21‑August‑2026.
  • The writ petition is disposed of accordingly; any pending miscellaneous applications are also dismissed.

Topics: Admission Procedures, Legal Remedy