Uttarakhand High Court Orders Re-evaluation of Judicial Services Examination Due to Erroneous Questions Court directs deletion of ambiguous questions and correction of answer key to uphold fairness in competitive examinations.
In a significant judgment, the Uttarakhand High Court has directed the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) to re-evaluate the Preliminary Examination for the Uttarakhand Judicial Services Civil Judge (Junior Division) Examination, 2023, following the identification of erroneous and ambiguous questions. The court, presided by Justices Ravindra Maithani and Alok Mahra, emphasized the importance of fairness and equal opportunity for candidates in competitive examinations.
The petitioner, Shashank Pant, challenged the final answer key issued by the UKPSC, arguing that several questions in the examination contained errors or ambiguities. The court concurred with the petitioner's contention regarding specific questions and directed the deletion of Question No. 76 and the correction of the answer for Question No. 71.
The court observed that Question No. 76 was framed ambiguously, making it incapable of a definite or legally sustainable answer. Similarly, the court found that the illustration provided in Question No. 71 was identical to the statutory definition in the Indian Penal Code, thereby rendering Option 'c' ("House-Breaking") as the correct answer, contrary to the commission's designation.
The judgment also highlighted the recurring issue of erroneous questions in exams conducted by the UKPSC, affecting candidates' merit and causing undue stress. The court underscored the psychological impact of such errors on candidates, who invest considerable time and effort in their preparation.
In its order, the court directed the UKPSC to constitute an independent Expert Committee to re-examine disputed questions and prepare a reasoned report. The committee is tasked with recommending the retention, deletion, or correction of questions and answer keys, ensuring a uniform re-evaluation of all candidates' OMR sheets.
Furthermore, the court instructed the UKPSC to recompute the examination results, taking into account the corrections, and publish a revised merit list promptly. The commission was urged to minimize errors in future examinations to uphold the integrity of the competitive examination process.
This judgment serves as a reminder of the judiciary's role in safeguarding fairness in public examinations and ensuring that no candidate is prejudiced due to errors attributable to examining authorities.
Bottom Line:
Ambiguous or erroneous questions in exams conducted by Public Service Commission must be deleted, and marks distributed proportionately to ensure fairness and equal opportunity for candidates.
Statutory provision(s): Indian Penal Code, 1860 - Section 445; Indian Evidence Act, 1872 - Section 113A; Uttarakhand Public Service Commission Regulations, 2022
