In a pivotal development, the Supreme Court has enlisted the expertise of senior advocate Jaideep Gupta as amicus curiae to deliberate on a petition by civil service aspirants demanding the early release of answer keys, cut-off marks, and candidate scores for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination. This case, represented by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, challenges the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) routine practice of withholding such details until the entire examination process concludes.
Justices P S Narasimha and Manoj Misra highlighted the significance of the matter during the proceedings on January 15, emphasizing the need for a thorough examination of the petition filed through advocate Rajeev Kumar Dubey. The petition asserts that the delayed disclosure undermines transparency and deprives candidates of the opportunity to seek redress for potential errors in the evaluation process.
During the hearing, Kapil Sibal argued that immediate access to examination data would enable candidates to contest incorrect assessments effectively and ensure a more transparent selection process. In response, the Supreme Court has requested the UPSC and the Central Government to submit an additional affidavit detailing the potential complications of granting the petition’s requests before the next hearing scheduled for February 4.
The ongoing debate centers around the UPSC’s reluctance to adopt a transparent approach similar to that employed by state public service commissions and prestigious institutions like the IITs and IIMs, which routinely publish such information promptly. The petitioners contend that the UPSC’s opaque practices not only hinder fair reassessment but also contribute to a broader mistrust in the administrative processes governing crucial national examinations.
