The Supreme Court today (January 19, 2024) set aside a decision of the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) to reject the application of a candidate for the Judicial Service (Junior Division) Examination and directed the UPPSC to declare the results of the petitioner.
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NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court of India, today(January 19, 2024), overturned the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission’s (UPPSC) rejection of a judiciary aspirant’s application due to a one-day delay in the submission of her form. This ruling marks a significant moment in the Indian judicial system, emphasizing the importance of fairness and consideration in bureaucratic procedures.
The case centered around Sadaf Imran, a candidate who had successfully cleared the preliminary examination for the Judicial Service (Junior Division) Examination. Despite her eligibility to appear in the mains examination, UPPSC denied her the opportunity. The reason cited was a one-day delay in the submission of the hard copies of her mains examination application form, attributed to a delay in postal services.
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Imran’s plea highlighted that her online application was duly submitted and accepted by UPPSC. However, her candidature was canceled due to the delay in the physical submission of the form. This decision was challenged by Imran in the Supreme Court under Article 32 of the Constitution, asserting that her fundamental right to appear in the examination, as guaranteed under Article 21, was violated.
The Supreme Court, comprising Justices JK Maheshwari and Sudhanshu Dhulia, intervened in the matter, initially granting interim relief to Imran on May 22, 2023. This interim order allowed her to provisionally appear in the mains examination. Following her success in the mains, Imran was deemed eligible for the interview stage.
On November 21, 2023, the Court requested the UPPSC to submit Imran’s interview results in a sealed cover for their perusal. After hearing both parties, the judgment was reserved on December 12, 2023.
Finally, in a significant ruling, the Supreme Court set aside the UPPSC’s order that rejected Imran’s candidature. The bench pronounced,
“An order that the rejection of an application of a petitioner at the hands of the state commission shall not come in the way of the declaration of the petitioner’s result.”
Consequently, the Court directed UPPSC to declare Imran’s results and communicate them to the State of Uttar Pradesh.
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This judgment is a testament to the Supreme Court’s commitment to ensuring justice and fairness in the administrative processes related to educational and professional opportunities. It underscores the need for bureaucratic entities to consider genuine hardships faced by individuals and to act in a manner that upholds the principles of natural justice and fairness.
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