HC gives nod for conducting CCE
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Apr 1: As the High Court today dismissed the plea challenging the criteria put by the Public Services Commission for conducting examination of Jammu and Kashmir Combined Competitive Exams, the PSC today issued fresh date sheet for the conduct of the examinations.
As per the notification issued by the PSC today, the examination for the CCE will commence on April 8 and end on April 17.
English, General Studies-I, General Studies-II, General Studies-III, General Studies-IV, Optional paper-I and Optional paper-II will be conducted on April 8, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16 and 17 respectively. The examinations will be held between 3 pm to 6 pm.
Earlier in the day, Justice D S Thakur dismissed the two petitions while announcing the judgment on the issue.
The court imposed a cost of Rs 50,000 on the petitioners for halting the process of exams unnecessary and superfluously. It ordered that Rs 25,000 each of the costs be paid to PSC and Lawyers Welfare Fund.
The Commission while opposing the petitions submitted before the court said that the petitioners are guilty of suppression of material facts, not approaching the Court with clean hands, and thereby abusing the judicial process.
A litigant, PSC counsel argued, who attempts to pollute the stream of justice or who touches the pure fountain of justice with tainted hands is not entitled to any relief, interim or final.
“The Court must ensure that its process is not abused and in order to prevent abuse of the process the court, it would be justified even in insisting on furnishing of security and in cases of serious abuse, the Court would be duty bound to impose heavy costs”, the Counsel argued.
The petitioners, the PSC counsel argued, are not justified in challenging every rational decision taken by the respondent-PSC to make the selection process more fair and reasonable merely because the outcome does not favour the limited individual interests and there has to be finality to examination process.
“On our part we may add that sympathy or compassion does not play any role in the matter of directing or not directing re-evaluation of an answer sheet. If an error is committed by the examination authority, the complete body of candidates suffers. The entire examination process does not deserve to be derailed only because some candidates are disappointed or dissatisfied or perceive some injustice having been caused to them by an erroneous question or an erroneous answer. All candidates suffer equally, though some might suffer more but that cannot be helped since mathematical precision is not always possible.”
It has been pleaded by the PSC that examination being scheduled on 10-03-2022 and all logistics being prepared by J&K PSC for conduct of examination Combined Competitive (Main) Examination, 2021 for eligible candidates, the continuance of interim order dated 21-02-2022 would prejudice the rights and interest of thousands of aspirants.
It has been further pleaded that in case petitioners are allowed to sit in the Combined Competitive (Mains) Examination, 2021 in terms of interim order dated 21-02-2022, gross violation would be caused to J&K Combined Competitive Examination, Rules, 2018 (SRO 103/2018) and such a course would also be against Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
