PRANAV PANDEY Vs. UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) Pranav Pandey, the Applicant in OA 799/2024, preferred before the Central Administrative Tribunal1 has approached this Court under Article 226 of the Constitution of India, challenging judgment dtd. 21/3/2024, whereby the Tribunal has dismissed the OA. The OA, [The impugned judgment] "the Tribunal" hereinafter

(2.) The Civil Services Examination ["CSE" hereinafter], conducted by the Union Public Service Commission [UPSC] for entrance into various civil services under the Government of India, consists of written examinations followed by a Personality Test/Interview. The preliminary examination consists of two papers, i.e. Paper I and Paper II. Each Paper carries 200 marks. Paper I relates to General Studies. Paper II is supposed to test the aptitude of the candidate and is, therefore, also referred to as the Civil Services Aptitude Test ["CSAT" hereinafter]. The CSAT is qualifying in nature. In order to qualify for further consideration for selection, a candidate is required to score at least 33% marks in the CSAT.

(3.) The petitioner was an aspirant for the Civil Services and, therefore, underwent the CSE 2023. He was not successful in getting selected for recruitment to the Civil Services. He, thereupon, instituted OA 799/2024, challenging the question papers for both Paper I and Paper II (CSAT). He prayed, in the OA, that the UPSC be directed to conduct a re-examination or allow a compensatory attempt to all candidates, and also to have the questions in Paper I and Paper II, with which he was aggrieved, examined by an expert.