Do not furnish aspirants’ academic marks to interview panel: HC to HSSC

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21

The Punjab and Haryana High Court has directed the state and the Haryana Staff Selection Commission (HSSC) not to provide academic or competitive examination marks of the candidates to the interview committee to avoid arbitrariness in awarding interview marks. The Chief Secretary has been asked to take appropriate steps in the matter and report back.

The directions by Justice PB Bajanthri came on a petition filed by Jyoti Sharma against the commission and other respondents, questioning the selection and appointment of a respondent as a statistical assistant on the ground that he did not fulfil the requisite qualification prescribed for the post.

The counsel claimed before the court that the interview committee was aware of the academic qualification and marks of the petitioner as well as the respondent. The respondent was awarded 19 marks while the petitioner was awarded eight to eliminate him.

Taking note of the assertion, the Bench directed counsel for the state to furnish the original record on award of interview marks to the candidates to verify arbitrariness in the awarding process. Instead of a true copy of the original record, a typed copy was placed before the Bench. “When asked for production of the original records relating to award of marks in the interview, it was stated that the same was destroyed,” Justice Bajanthri observed.

In his detailed order, Justice Bajanthri asserted the issue of arbitrariness or illegality could not be decided in the absence of original record. But academic and interview marks of the petitioner and the respondent revealed “some arbitrariness” on the face of record.

“On the other issue that the respondent did not fulfil the qualification prescribed for the statistical assistant’s post, his selection and appointment is liable to be set aside. Accordingly, it is set aside. The respondents-selecting authorities are directed to reconsider the petitioner’s name for selection and appointment to the post if he is otherwise eligible and more merited. The exercise shall be completed by the respondents concerned within three months…,” Justice Bajanthri ruled.

Before parting with the order, Justice Bajanthri directed the respondent state and the selection commission not to provide academic or competitive examination marks to the interview committee.