The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday issued notices to the Union of India and the Chandigarh Administration on a petition seeking uniform application of rules that provide reservation and age relaxation to meritorious sportspersons in government jobs.

A bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sanjiv Berry heard the matter and posted it for April 30.

Appearing for the petitioner, Simrat Kaur, assisted by Gursharan Singh, sought issuance of notice.

The petition has been filed by Shivdeep Singh Sidhu, 33, a resident of Sector 38-D, Chandigarh, a state-level gold medallist in 10m air rifle shooting who has also represented Chandigarh at the national level.

He has sought directions to ensure that all departments of the Chandigarh Administration follow central government rules that allow up to 5 per cent reservation in certain posts for meritorious sportspersons and provide age relaxation of up to five years, with a higher limit for SC and ST candidates. He has also sought a department-wise report on compliance.

The petition says Chandigarh employees are governed by central service rules and that the administration had adopted these provisions in the past. Despite this, it alleges, most departments have not applied the sports quota or age relaxation in recruitment advertisements.

It points out that only the Chandigarh Police included the quota in its 2023 constable recruitment. Advertisements issued by departments such as the Chandigarh Housing Board, Urban Planning, and the Child and Women Development Corporation did not mention any such provision.

Sidhu, currently working in a Group A post with Milkfed Punjab, has said he does not stand to gain personally from the case.

He had earlier filed an RTI and sent a representation to the Chief Secretary on July 27, 2025, but received no response, following which he approached the high court.