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Sonal Gupta & Ors. vs Registrar General, Rajasthan High Court Jodhpur & Anr.

Not available · 2024 INSC 830Decided 24 Oct 2024
Not available
Chief Justice Dr. Dhananjaya Y. Chandrachud · Justice J.B. Pardiwala · Justice Manoj Misra

Background

109 candidates who took the Rajasthan Civil Judge Cadre 2024 main examination alleged that they were arbitrarily and unfairly awarded very low marks (often 0-15 out of 50) in the subjective English Essay language paper, causing them to fall below the interview cut-off despite performing well in other papers. They sought re-evaluation of the answer sheets by an independent expert committee and quashing of the results.

Decision Breakdown

The Supreme Court had the Rajasthan High Court produce the actual answer sheets and a tabulated statement comparing candidates' marks across papers, and the Court itself personally examined a sample of the answer sheets. It found that the marking scheme already had built-in safeguards (each of the three essay questions was assessed by a different, consistent set of examiners), that there was no meaningful disparity in strictness of evaluation between qualifying and non-qualifying candidates, and, relying on precedent, held that some degree of marking variation among a large number of evaluators is normal and not automatically evidence of arbitrariness. Finding no statistical or actual evidence of deliberate low marking, the Court declined to interfere and dismissed the petitions, while leaving individual candidates free to approach the High Court for any distinct personal grievance.

Lesson Learnt

Courts will not overturn examination results merely because a large number of candidates received low marks in a subjective paper; a challenger must show a genuine, demonstrable disparity in how evaluators applied the marking standard, not just an unfavourable outcome.

Official source (sci.gov.in)View Judgment (PDF)

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