High Court asks APPSC to evaluate Group-1 main answer scripts manually in 3 months
Vijayawada: The High Court has directed the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission to get the answer papers of Group-1 main examination evaluated manually in the conventional mode within three months. It also asked the PSC to conduct oral interview of successful candidates and complete the selection process as quickly as possible as the lives and future of many aspirants are at stake.
Single judge bench of Justice DVSS Somayajulu pronounced the verdict in the case on Friday.
The judge said, “The change in the method of evaluation for the prevention notification is not correct. The submission that the answer scripts were merely scanned and not evaluated is not borne out by the record. The change of evaluation was also not communicated to ‘all’ the concerned as required under Clauses 1.10 and 17 of the notification. The powers/duties of the chairman of APPSC cannot be taken away by amending the rules of procedure. If the chairman is not cooperating with the APPSC for ‘any reason’, the proper method is to request the Governor to appoint an ‘acting chairman’ to proceed in the matter.”
“The available material does not prove that the rules of procedure were legally and actually amended in 2020. The minutes of the meeting dated 28.10.2020 show that seven members and secretary have taken certain decisions including a decision for digital evaluation. This is impossible legally. It is contrary to the applicable rules of procedure and the constitutional mandate.”
“All the stakeholders/officeholders are requested to keep in mind the young aspirants who have toiled and are toiling with dreams of a government job in mind, while taking all decisions in future. This order will not preclude the APPSC from adopting digital or any other advanced modes for future evaluation/examinations. However, the decisions to adopt the emerging methods should be taken strictly as per law.”
“The court is dealing with young men/women on a red RTC bus who blindly believe and hope that their answer scripts are correctly and truly evaluated. Due to constitutional provisions and law, APPSC, like Caesar’s wife, should be blemishless and above board. Not even the slightest hint of a wrongdoing can be attributed against it. It should be pure as the driven snow.”
Earlier, a batch of petitions was filed alleging irregularities in evaluation of answer scripts of Group-1 main exams including digital mode of evaluation.
