Education Uttarakhand HC Declares PSC Rule Blocking Answer Sheet Verification Unconstitutional

The Uttarakhand High Court has declared a provision in the state public service commission's recruitment examination as unconstitutional. The provision did not allow candidates to verify their answer sheets before the final results of all stages of the test are announced. A division bench of Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay gave the order while hearing petitions that sought answer sheets of the shorthand examination conducted for recruitment to the post of Additional Private Secretary (APS).

The court granted candidates who failed to clear the shorthand test the right to verify their answer sheets after the test results of this specific test are declared. The division bench stated in its order that transparency and fairness in the recruitment process are constitutionally mandated and candidates cannot be denied information related to evaluation.

The court declared the provision unconstitutional with respect to unsuccessful candidates, stating that if there is an inordinate delay in inspection, it will be nearly impossible to correct any errors later, and this could cause irreparable harm to the candidates. The bench also stated that evaluated answer sheets fall within the category of information under the Right to Information Act, and candidates have the right to inspect and obtain copies of them.

The court ordered that the specific note that disallowed verification at all stages be declared void to the extent it prevents unsuccessful candidates from inspecting their answer sheets. The court also directed that the petitioners be permitted to inspect their answer sheets.