Mandatory recusal of biased functionaries from selection boards

When a member of a selection committee or recommendatory body possesses a personal interest, prior involvement, or animus against a candidate, they are legally obligated to disassociate themselves from the proceedings. The presence of even a single disqualified or biased individual in a group deliberation completely vitiates the collective outcome, as members in a committee inevitably influence one another's views. It is impossible to isolate or measure the subtle extent to which a biased member's opinion may have impermissibly swayed fellow evaluators during group discussions. Where a committee member previously faced contempt proceedings or personal litigation initiated by a candidate, a reasonable apprehension of bias becomes fully fortified. Continuing to participate in the evaluation despite such direct prior adversarial engagement violates fundamental principles of natural justice and renders the decision-making process unsustainable in law. (Captain Pramod Kumar Bajaj v. Union of India and Anr. | 2026 INSC 101)