SAROJ KUMAR ROUT Vs. ORISSA PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION

JUDGEMENT

(1.) BY this common judgment, we dispose of the aforesaid batch of writ petitions. In some of the writ petitions, we have taken suo motu action on receiving letters.

(2.) THE Orissa Public Service Commission (for short, the O.P.S.C.) issued an advertisement inviting application for admission to Combined Competitive Examination, 1997 for appointment to different posts in Orissa Civil Service. A reference has been made to Orissa Civil Services (Combined Recruitment Examination) Rules, 1991. Rule III provides for direct recruitment. According to column -2 of Schedule I of the Rules, direct recruitment has to be done through competitive examination, under the relevant rules, regulations, resolutions, etc. The Commission has to recommend under Rule 50 a merit list of the candidates. Rule 4 deals with holding of examination in the manner prescribed in Schedule II. Applications of all the petitioners were found valid and they appeared in the Orissa Civil Services Preliminary Examination, 1997 held on 23.3.1997. There were two papers, namely, English and M.I.L. (Oriya/ Hindi). All the petitioners, who became unsuccessful in the preliminary examination have filed the present petitions.

(3.) A common counter affidavit has been filed on behalf of the Commission. It has been stated that examination of recruitment to Orissa Civil Services was held after a long time - the last examination was held in the year 1996. The Commission could publish the result expeditiously as it adopted for the first time the system of central evaluation of answer scripts instead of evaluation at the residence of individual examiners. According to the Commission, having regard to the large number of candidates, there was a need for qualifying screening test through the system of preliminary examination which was introduced for the purpose of selection of candidates for the main examination. In the preliminary examination, 39,082 candidates were admitted. The examination was held in 121 centres on 23.3.1997. The number of candidates who took the examination in English and M.I.L. was 32,431 and 32298 respectively. 9630 candidates were declared qualified to take the main examinations per the decision of the Commission. In the preliminary examination, elaborate arrangements were made for evaluation of answer scripts at Ravenshaw College under the supervision of the Principal, who is a very senior teacher with long experience. He was the Chief Co -ordinator -cwm -Centre Supervisor and was assisted by the senior members of the teaching staff who acted as Co -ordinators and Deputy Co -ordinators. Most of the examiners had teaching experience of over ten years and the Chief Examiner, more than 25 years. The answer scripts were examined by the college teachers in units of seven to ten each under a Chief Examiner. Scrutinizers were also appointed for each unit. In addition. Valuation Officers were engaged to ensure error -free evaluation by re -checking answer scripts at random. The Commission decided that candidates securing 30% marks in each subject, namely, English and M.I.L, shall be allowed to appear in the main examination.