Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) examination controversy has now reached the Supreme Court, with a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking the cancellation of the Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 and an independent probe into alleged irregularities.
Social activist Harisharan Devgan has filed the petition, seeking an investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) or an independent committee headed by retired judges. The plea specifically challenges the preliminary examination held on April 19 and calls for a time-bound investigation into the alleged lapses.
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PIL SEEKS CANCELLATION OF APRIL 19 EXAM
The petitioner has urged the Supreme Court to direct the cancellation of the JPSC Combined Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2025 and order a fresh examination after the alleged irregularities are investigated.
The plea seeks an independent and impartial probe, arguing that the allegations require an investigation beyond the existing examination authorities. It has proposed that the Supreme Court either entrust the matter to the CBI or constitute an independent committee headed by a retired judge.
WHO COULD BE ON THE PROPOSED PANEL?
The petition has also suggested a detailed structure for the proposed committee. It wants the panel to be headed by a retired Supreme Court judge or a retired Chief Justice of a High Court from outside Jharkhand.
The committee, according to the plea, should include experts in forensic science, information technology, examination security, OMR evaluation, cybersecurity and public administration.
The objective would be to independently examine the alleged irregularities and establish whether any lapses occurred during different stages of the examination.
PETITION SEEKS PROTECTION OF EXAM RECORDS
The PIL has also sought directions to preserve all examination-related documents and electronic records until the investigation is completed.
These include original OMR sheets, candidates’ carbon copies, question papers, answer keys and attendance sheets. The plea also seeks preservation of biometric records, CCTV footage, dispatch registers and examination-centre reports.
Scanning records, evaluation data, result-generation data and other material connected with the examination have also been listed among the records that the petitioner wants protected.
The demand comes amid wider concerns among candidates over the credibility and transparency of government recruitment examinations. The petitioner has argued that preserving the records would ensure that crucial evidence is not lost or altered while the allegations are investigated.
The PIL, however, represents the petitioner’s allegations and demands; the Supreme Court is yet to adjudicate on the merits of the claims.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
