Srinagar, January 29:

The State High Court today reserved its judgment on suo moto proceedings on controversial digital evaluation of marks of recently held Combined Competitive Examination (CCE) by Public Services Commission (PSC).

The Division Bench of Justice Ali Mohammad Magrey and Justice Sanjeev Kumar while hearing the case observed to the amicus curie to convince the Court on maintainability of the instant Public Interest Litigation.

Court during the proceedings of the case observed that what is bad if the PSC has undertaken digital evaluation of marks instead of manual marks. Court further added that if anybody is aggrieved to the process undertaken by the PSC then he or she has to file the writ petition and challenge the process of PSC in writ proceedings.

Court has been apprised that the PSC has undertaken the digital evaluation in between which is no permissible as it was not mentioned anywhere in the advertisement notice. PSC counsel while defending the commission submitted that it is Commission which decides the process and it (PSC) cannot go by the wishes of the candidates.

Supreme Court on January 21 directed the PSC to go ahead with the selection process of Combined Competitive Examination held recently but not issue any appointment order.

High Court on December 21 last year had put on halt the whole selection process of Combined Competitive Examination held by the PSC after various candidates have complained of irregularities by Commission.

The Supreme Court while hearing the plea of PSC challenging the order of High Court whereby whole selection process was put on halt gave liberty to the PSC to go ahead with the further process of selection but no appointment order be issued.

High Court, in a suomoto cognizance, had stayed the further process of selection as alleged discrepancies have been complained in the digital checking by the PSC with regard to KAS examination of 2016.

Supreme Court had also cleared that the High Court would be free to decide the suo-moto Public Interest Litigation on merits on the date fixed.

About 6400 candidates had appeared in the Mains written test and out of which 963 candidates were called for interview process for 277 posts and on the other hand various candidates, who had not been selected for interview, were seeking manual checking by the Commission rather than digital checking.

The Combined Competitive (Mains) examination was held from July 2 to August 8 this year and out of which 963 candidates after appearing in the examination qualified for personal test (interview).

In this connection, a representation (dated 17.12.2018) with the signatures of 83 applicants (drop out candidates) complaining the alleged irregularities in the J&K Public Service Commission Combined

Competitive (Mains) examination has been placed before the Court with regard to the digital marking in the examination data resulting into corruption and huge human error are complained off.

In addition in the representation which the Court treated as suo moto it is submitted that the J&K Public Service Commission has resorted to arbitrary scaling and moderation which was not mentioned in the notification when the posts were advertised.

Giving the importance to the issues raised by the aggrieved candidates who were dropped for viva-voce, the High Court issued notice to the PSC.

Court directed the PSC through its counsel to file detailed counter affidavit meeting the objections pointed out by the aggrieved candidates and to show cause as to why this petition be not admitted.

Courtesy: Daily Excelsior