PIL outcome to decide fate: Judicial services exam result has to wait, says SC

The DJS Mains exam was held in October last year and the results were declared on May 1. Of the 659 candidates who appeared for the Mains exam, only 15 – just over 2 per cent – were declared successful.

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As first reported by The Indian Express, Union Law Minister D V Sadananda Gowda had in June sought a scrutiny by the Delhi High Court Chief Justice into accusations of “corruption, favouritism and nepotism” in the exam conducted last year. The topper and another successful candidate are daughters of sitting judges of the Delhi High Court, which conducted the exam to fill 80 vacancies of district and sessions judges in Delhi. Judges of the Delhi High Court are involved in the preparation of question papers and the evaluation process.

Further, the records showed at least 65 sitting judicial officers from 11 states failed the exam, thereby raising more questions over the evaluation process. The list of the 65 unsuccessful judicial officers included 10 toppers who had held first or second rank in their states as well as some who had cleared the judicial services exams in more than one state.

Appearing for the CPIL, advocate Prashant Bhushan told the bench that the petition seeks quashing the result of the Mains exam and re-evaluation of all the papers of the students. “Something has gone wrong and it needs to be corrected. It is, after all, about the credibility of the evaluation process and the faith in the institution,” he added.

Even as it observed that the PIL was filed on a subject related to a service matter, the bench issued a notice to the HC Registrar General and sought a response in three weeks.

Appearing for the HC, advocate A D N Rao defended the evaluation process and said they would show it though their affidavit that nothing was wrong with it.

The bench said it was not inclined to stay the recruitment process but granted a virtual stay by asking the HC not to declare the final result without its order.