Odisha HC Upholds State Judicial Services Exam, Rejects Plea for Cancellation Despite Alleged Flaws
Last Updated on August 5, 2024 by NewsDesk SLC
The Odisha High Court has declined a prayer to cancel the 2023 Odisha Judicial Services Preliminary Examination despite allegations of flaws in test. The dissatisfied candidates are now in a state of confusion as this decision does not meet their expectations.
This case that was filed by the candidates was handled by Justice Sangam Kumar Sahoo and Justice Chittaranjan Dash. They alleged that there were mistakes in fifteen questions among the exam and their answer keys. These problems, according to the petitioners, led to confusion and loss of examination time, which in turn could have affected their performance and consequently their ability to proceed to the next stage of the selection process.
The Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) conducted the exam on June 22, 2024 and had provided the provisional answer keys and candidates were allowed to challenge generally. However, the final answer keys to the tests have not been provided and therefore, many students and other stakeholders are still in the dark.
The petitioners’ issues included improperly framed questions, wrong answers keys provided, questions with more than one correct answer, and questions outside the prescribed syllabus. They demanded either re-evaluation or grace marks for the contentious questions. Nevertheless, the High Court did not interfere at this stage, mainly because its outcomes have not been disclosed yet. The judges reassured that the OPSC would consider the objections and release the results in due course.
The above decision is important because it describes how the court manages to address the equity in competitive examination and the realities of bureaucracy at the same time. Thus, the court did not intervene prematurely, but at the same time, it did not deprive the OPSC of the opportunity to finalize its work and reveal the data of the case.
The case also highlights the fact that timing is always relevant when it comes to questioning examination procedures and the challenges that have to be met to achieve accuracy and fairness in assessments that are vital determinants of the future career paths, especially, the judiciary.
Case Law: Samata Samantaray & Ors. v. State of Odisha & Anr- W.P.(C) No. 17688 of 2024
Written By: Amit Kumar Patra
