PCS-2013 exam: PPSC to redraw Mains merit list
Punjab Public Service Commission will have to redraw the merit list prepared by it in the Punjab Civil Services (executive) and allied services examination-2013 as the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday allowed the petition challenging the methodology adopted for preparing the merit list.
Punjab Public Service Commission will have to redraw the merit list prepared by it in the Punjab Civil Services (executive) and allied services examination-2013 as the Punjab and Haryana high court on Thursday allowed the petition challenging the methodology adopted for preparing the merit list.
The petitioners had challenged the PCS mains result saying the commission had prepared it by awarding minimum 33% marks for each paper instead of “each subject”, the prescribed condition in the circular issued in January.
The bench of justice Rajiv Narain Raina allowed the petition after hearing the government as well as petitioners after the arguments in the case that continued for around four hours. A detailed order in the case is awaited.
The high court, on December 24, had stayed the physical test that was to commence on January 6 and the interviews that were to begin on January 8 till further orders.
The commission after completing the preliminary and mains examination had shortlisted 213 candidates for the interview and physical test for the 120 posts advertised in 2013.
Following the court order, the commission will have to prepare a fresh list of successful candidates with minimum 33% marks in the general studies subject as a whole, and not paper-wise. The commission had prepared the earlier list by awarding 33% marks as minimum in each paper of the general studies.
The PCS main exam consists of four subjects having seven papers: Punjabi (100 marks), English (100 marks), essay (150 marks) and general studies (four papers 250 marks).
During the hearing, the government submitted before the court that the notification of changes made in the examination was not required to be published in the official gazette as this was notified to the candidates through the PPSC website.
During the last hearing, it had come to light that for the examination, the notification in the official gazette was given after the aspirants approached the court. The petitioners had claimed that it was in violation of the rules.
Petitioners’ counsel Gurminder Singh submitted that even if the notification part was not touched upon, the general studies continued to be one subject with different papers and the merit list was not in accordance with the advertisement issued.
The advertisement did not talk about the marks to be awarded paper-wise in the general studies and the rule was changed without notifying it to the candidates, he added.