The Allahabad High Court has taken significant action to address allegations of irregularities in the UP-PCSJ (Mains) 2022 examination by appointing retired Chief Justice Govind Mathur to lead an independent commission.
The decision came as the Court reviewed several petitions alleging serious flaws in the examination process.
A bench comprising Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh and Justice Donadi Ramesh has directed the commission to submit a comprehensive report by May 31, 2025.
The commission’s primary objective is to enhance the credibility and efficiency of the UPPCS (J) examination’s evaluation process, ensuring it meets selection standards and maintains trust among stakeholders, including the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC).
Its mandate includes suggesting improvements to evaluation methods, implementing reforms, and introducing measures to prevent deviations from established norms and practices.
This action follows reports of potential oversight failures that allowed errors to persist until the results were announced on August 30, 2023.
The UPPSC has acknowledged errors in the merit list preparation for the 2022 examination, prompting concerns raised by lead petitioner Shravan Pandey and others about tampering with answer sheets and inconsistencies in marking. These allegations led to multiple legal challenges.
The overlapping nature of the petitions underscored the need for a thorough investigation to uphold the integrity of judicial appointments.
The Court identified several critical issues, including unexplained corrections in answer booklets, discrepancies in evaluation processes, and an overemphasis on theoretical knowledge over practical legal analysis in the use of model answer keys.
Highlighting the necessity for reform, the Court pointed out deficiencies such as unchecked examiner corrections and inconsistent marking schemes. The commission has been tasked with examining these issues and ensuring all relevant materials and documents are preserved for detailed scrutiny.
To facilitate the commission’s work, the UPPSC has been instructed to provide necessary resources and accommodations, reflecting the urgency and importance of restoring confidence in the PCS-J examination process.
The case will be revisited in the first week of July 2025 and has been prioritized among the top ten cases for hearing by an appropriate bench.
The Court issued the order after hearing arguments from Senior Advocate SFA Naqvi and Advocate Shashwat Anand, representing the petitioners.