Plea In Supreme Court Challenges Rajasthan Civil Judge Cadre Exam 2024 Results, Seeks Evaluation By Independent Expert Committee

A writ petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Rajasthan Civil Judge Cadre, 2024 exam on the ground that its evaluation process was "arbitrary and flawed."

The petition filed by 96 candidates who undertook the exam was mentioned before the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud on Monday (October 14) for urgent listing. The counsel requested urgent listing saying that the interviews are going to commence on October 16. CJI agreed to list the matter soon.

The petitioners, claiming that they performed well overall, stated that an unjustly low scoring range of 0 to 15 marks were given to them in the English Essay Writing paper, which denied them fair eligibility for the final interview stage

Background: Recruitment for Civil Judge Cadre, 2024

The Rajasthan High Court (the “Recruiting Authority”), in compliance with the Rajasthan Judicial Services Rules, 2010, opened 222 vacancies for direct recruitment to the Civil Judge Cadre. The selection process follows a rigorous three-stage process: a Preliminary Examination, a Main Examination, and a Viva Voce (Interview). Out of approximately 3,000 candidates who qualified for the Main Examination held on August 31 and September 1, 2024, only 638 candidates progressed to the interview stage.

Grounds for Petition: Discrepancies in Evaluation and Lack of Transparency

The candidates allege that after the results of the Main Examination were released on October 1, 2024, their scorecards revealed inexplicably low marks—between 0 and 15—specifically in the English Essay paper. This irregular scoring starkly contrasts with their otherwise strong performances, leaving the petitioners unable to reach the interview cut-off. Given the subjective nature of essay writing and the absence of any minimum qualifying mark for language papers, the petitioners emphasize that this opaque evaluation method has produced arbitrary results, impacting their fundamental rights and careers.

The petitioners rely on the Supreme Court judgment in Pranav Verma & Others vs. The Registrar General of the High Court of Punjab and Haryana at Chandigarh & Anr. (2020). In that case, a similar pattern of arbitrary evaluation in judicial service exams led the Court to appoint an independent committee to review and reassess the answer sheets, which revealed inaccuracies in scoring. Given the analogous circumstances, the petitioners urge the Supreme Court to mandate a similar independent review in this case.

The petitioner requested the Supreme Court intervene to ensure an impartial re-evaluation of their answer sheets by an independent expert committee. They argue that the flawed evaluation process undermines their constitutional right to equal opportunity, enshrined in Article 14, and that a transparent, fair process is essential for upholding judicial integrity in Rajasthan's recruitment for the judiciary.

Case : MS SONAL GUPTA AND OTHERS Vs. REGISTRAR GENERAL RAJASHTAN HIGH COURT JODHPUR AND ANOTHER | Diary Number 47205/2024 .