A candidate three millimetres short at the PMT/PET camp
At a PMT/PET camp, a male candidate aged 27, belonging to BC-B, presents his documents. The notification for Sub-Inspector states: minimum height 160 cm, chest 80 cm unexpanded and 85 cm expanded, 1600 m run in 6 minutes 30 seconds, long jump 3.80 m; age 18-25 with five years' relaxation for BC-B; measurements are taken barefoot with heels together and recorded to the nearest 0.5 cm, fractions below 0.5 cm being ignored; one re-measurement is allowed on the same day on written request; the run is a single attempt. The candidate measures 159.7 cm, chest 79 cm/84 cm, runs 1600 m in 6:38 and long jumps 3.65 m. He argues that he is only 3 mm short, that his chest expands more in the evening, and that his BC-B certificate entitles him to height and chest relaxation. The measurement team asks the supervising officer to decide before the next batch.
1. Is the candidate eligible? Apply each standard and state the effect of the rounding rule and age relaxation.
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Age: 27 years with five years' BC-B relaxation means the upper limit is 30, so he is within age. Height: the notification says record to the nearest 0.5 cm and ignore fractions below 0.5 cm. A reading of 159.7 cm is therefore recorded as 159.5 cm, not rounded up to 160 cm. He fails the 160 cm minimum. Chest: 79 cm unexpanded and 84 cm expanded. The expansion is 5 cm, but the unexpanded minimum of 80 cm and expanded minimum of 85 cm are both failed. Run: 6:38 is slower than the 6:30 limit, so he fails. Long jump: 3.65 m is below 3.80 m, so he fails. The BC-B relaxation in the notification applies to age only; it does not create height or chest relaxation. The candidate is therefore not eligible on height, chest, run and long jump. The 3 mm argument cannot override the recorded 159.5 cm.
2. Should the officer allow a re-measurement? If yes, under what conditions, and what should be recorded if the result is unchanged?
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Yes, because the notification allows one re-measurement on the same day on written request. The officer should allow it, but only under the same protocol: barefoot, heels together, head straight, same measuring board, and a different member of the measurement team where possible. The candidate should not be allowed to hang from a bar, stretch, or wait for an evening measurement outside the camp schedule. Both readings should be recorded, signed by the measurers and the candidate, with the time and the instrument used. If the re-measurement is unchanged at 159.5 cm or still below 160 cm, the candidate should be declared not eligible with written reasons. The officer should avoid humiliating him and should inform him of the grievance or appeal channel stated in the notification.
3. The candidate offers to produce a medical certificate saying his height is 160.2 cm. How should the officer respond?
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The officer should explain that the notification makes the measurement board at the camp the deciding standard, not a private medical certificate. A certificate may be considered only if the notification expressly provides for it, and here it does not. The officer should record the offer, decline to substitute the certificate for the board measurement, and tell the candidate that his remedy is the grievance or appeal mechanism, where the certificate can be produced if the rules permit. The officer should also check that the candidate's original documents and category certificate are genuine, because a false claim about relaxation can attract separate consequences. The decision should be communicated in writing and the measurement sheets preserved.