[Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher 2021] PIL Before HC To Cancel the Exam And To Investigate the Paper Leak by Central Investigation Agency

The REET examination was conducted on 26.09.2021. In the present matter, the bench has listed the matter on 28.02.2022.

Justice Mahendar Kumar Goyal, ordered,

"The applications (1/2022) shall be considered at the time of admission/hearing of the writ petitions.

List these matters for admission on 28.02.2022 as prayed."

Notably, on 07.02.2022, the State government decided to cancel the REET Level-2 Exam and to continue the Level-1 process as before. It was also decided to increase the recruitment post to 62,000 in both the levels. The government also informed that SOG is investigating the discrepancies in the REET Exam. It was stated that the government will ensure justice to the youth by punishing every guilty person.

The plea alleged that almost 16.51 lacs candidates applied for over 32,000 seats but due to the leak of the papers, the reliability of the exam has become doubtful and candidates who appeared in the examination are feeling cheated. It added that the question paper was found unsealed at various examination centres and was available in the mobile phones of some candidates' relatives who are part of the Government machinery.

The plea further alleged,

"It is clear that the leak of the paper of the REET – 2021 shows the involvement of the Government machinery and without involvement of the some official persons the question paper of the examination which is being conducted at large scale is not possible and the Government machinery played with the future of the candidates appearing in the said examination at one side and played with the public money at the other side and misused its machinery and public money by frustrating the public at large."

It was stated in the plea that state spent Rs. 70 crore by installing 35,000 CC TVs at the examination centre to watch live telecast of every centre but due to its decision of stopping the internet services during the exam time, this public money has been wastage and the purpose of the Board of controlling the cheating has rendered useless. This fact alone is sufficient to show the involvement of the Government machinery in the said paper leak scam.

The petitioner majorly sought following relief:

1."Issue a Writ of mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order or directions of like nature to cancel the Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher 2021 (REET-2021) conducted by the respondent No. 3 in pursuance to the Advertisement No. 01/2021 held on 26.09.2021;

2.Issue a Writ of mandamus, or any other appropriate writ, order or directions of like nature to investigate the paper leak case of Rajasthan Eligibility Examination for Teacher 2021 (REET-2021) conducted by the respondent No. 3 in pursuance to the Advertisement No. 01/2021 held on 26.09.2021 by some Central Investigation Agency"

Adv. Ram Pratap Saini, Adv. Aamir Khan, Adv. Dinesh Kumar Garg and Adv. Dr. Devendra Kumar appeared for the petitioner, whereas A.G. M.S. Singhvi with Adv. Darsh Pareek, Adv. Vigyan Shah and Adv. Himanshu Jain appeared for the respondents.