The Delhi High Court issued notice on a petition seeking a revised merit-cum-waiting list for the 2023 Delhi Judicial Services Main Exam. The Bench directed the High Court administration to respond within four weeks and noted the need for detailed examination of alleged unauthorized alterations in the petitioner’s answer sheet. The matter is listed for further hearing.
The petitioner, Meenakshi Meena, who appeared in the Civil Law-I paper of the Delhi Judicial Services Main Examination 2023, contended that there was an evident error on her answer sheet. She alleged that the marks awarded to her for Question No. 8, both in numerical and written form on the main score sheet, had been altered without any proper authentication or endorsement by the examiner. According to her, these changes constituted unauthorized tampering, adversely affecting her total score.
Meena sought that the Court direct the examination authorities to call her for the viva voce and to publish a revised merit-cum-waiting list reflecting her corrected marks and rightful position. She submitted that her representation to the Examination Committee, which raised these concerns, remains pending without any resolution. She further argued that the alteration to the marks lacked any signature or initials from the examiner, thus making such changes invalid and unauthorized.
In addition, the petitioner urged the Court to issue directions to the Examination Committee to formulate clear guidelines on the procedure for handling answer sheets, specifically concerning corrections or overwriting of marks by examiners, to prevent future disputes.
The Division Bench, comprising Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Ajay Digpaul, after considering the petition, issued notice to the High Court administration through the Registrar General to respond within four weeks. The Court stated, "Issue notice to show cause as to why rule nisi be not issued," thereby indicating the possibility of further orders upon hearing the parties. The bench recognized the importance of addressing grievances related to examination fairness and transparency and set the matter for hearing on October 14.
No final decision has been rendered yet, but the Court has taken cognizance of the petitioner's allegations and has initiated procedural steps by issuing notice to the concerned authorities. The matter will proceed on the scheduled date to examine the merits of the plea and the response of the High Court administration.
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