Can declare SSC re-exam result: Top court

Tribune News Service
New Delhi, April 1

The Supreme Court today allowed the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) to declare the result of a re-examination of Combined Graduate Level (CGL) 2017 held last year.

The stay granted on August 31 last year on declaration of result for SSC CGL, 2017, would not continue on a re-examination conducted on March 9, 2018, it said. 

A Bench headed by Justice SA Bobde set up a committee comprising Infosys co-founder Nandan Nilekani and computer scientist Vijay P Bhatkar to suggest reforms and measures for conducting of competitive examinations by government bodies in a foolproof manner.

The terms of reference for the committee will be decided at a later stage, the Bench said, posting the matter for further hearing on April 9.

The SSC is a government body that conducts examinations to recruit staff at multiple levels in various ministries and departments. Several lakh students appear in the SSC examination each year and enter government services in Group C and D categories of jobs once they qualify.

The SSC Combined Graduate Level exam has a four-tier system, in which tiers I and II are computer-based, while in tiers III and IV, job applicants take up a descriptive paper and a computer proficiency test or skill test. The Bench lamented that lakhs of unemployed youths had to suffer because someone from the organisation was corrupt.

The examination papers of the SSC CGL 2017 were allegedly leaked, leading to huge protests from job-seekers for several days and amid protests, SSC had recommended a CBI probe into the allegations of paper leak.

On August 31 last year, the SC had stayed the declaration of result of the SSC CGL and Combined Higher Secondary Level Examination held in 2017, saying it seemed that the test and the system was “tainted”.

On Monday, the Bench asked the Centre to consider re-conducting the 2017 examination. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta said there was no need for re-examination as the leak was “extremely localised” and those behind the leak were identified and action was taken.