Delhi HC to hear plea challenging UPSC civil services preliminary examination 2023 today – Times of India

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court is set to hear a plea filed by 17 civil services aspirants today, challenging the preliminary examination of the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023. The petitioners are seeking the cancellation of the preliminary test and a re-conduction with general studies papers 1 and 2, along with the release of the answer key by the UPSC.
Justice Manoj Jain ordered the petition to be listed for the hearing after the UPSC’s advocate raised an objection, suggesting that the matter should be handled by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) as the competent forum.
The plea also contests the press note issued by the UPSC on June 12, which declared the results of the preliminary examination. The petitioners allege arbitrariness in the recruitment cycle, pointing out the lack of provision of answer keys, dismissing candidates’ representations, and including excessively vague questions that require guesswork.
They argue that releasing the answer key after the exam would ensure fairness and transparency, enabling candidates to understand the evaluation process better. They also highlight that other institutions, including state Public Service Commissions, IITs, NLUs, IIMs, and the Delhi High Court for the Delhi Judicial Service Examination, promptly release provisional answer keys and invite objections from candidates before finalizing the answer key.
The plea seeks intervention from the court to address these concerns and ensure a fair and just process for all civil services aspirants. The hearing on July 3 will determine the course of action regarding the preliminary examination and the release of the answer key by the UPSC.
(With inputs from agencies)