In a dramatic turn at the Allahabad High Court on Friday, the bench of Justice Mahesh Chandra Tripathi and Justice Anish Kumar Gupta stepped in to balance the interests of thousands of candidates with a brewing legal tussle. The case revolved around the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) recruitment process, which had already seen challenges over the manner in which preliminary results were prepared.
Background
The dispute began when 609 vacancies for Assistant Engineer and other Group A and B posts were advertised by the UPPSC. After the preliminary exam, only 7,358 candidates were shortlisted. Petitioners argued that the result was flawed because it failed to properly account for candidates from reserved categories who had scored above the general category cut-off.
On September 25, a Single Judge had agreed with the petitioners and ordered the Commission to redraw the merit list. The order, if immediately implemented, would have delayed the mains exam scheduled for September 28, creating uncertainty for over 7,000 aspirants who had already received admit cards and allotted centres.
Court's Observations
Senior Advocate Anoop Trivedi, appearing for the UPPSC, pressed for urgent hearing, stressing that,
"all preparations have been made for the mains examination… any disruption now will create chaos."
On the other side, Senior Advocate Ashok Khare, representing the petitioners, acknowledged the urgency but stood firm on the principle of fairness.
The bench noted the delicate balance at stake.
"Any disturbance in the examination at the eleventh hour will result in great chaos and injustice to the appearing candidates," the judges observed, hinting that judicial intervention must also consider the practical realities of large-scale competitive exams.
Decision
The Division Bench finally crafted a middle path. It allowed the UPPSC mains examination to go ahead as scheduled on September 28, but with a crucial caveat: the results cannot be declared until the appeal is decided. The order of the Single Judge directing a redrawn merit list has been stayed for now.
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In simple terms, students will sit for their exam, but the fate of their results will depend on the outcome of the next hearing, fixed for October 7. The bench directed both sides to file objections before the matter is taken up again.
With this, the court has temporarily calmed the storm, though uncertainty still lingers over how the merit list will finally be settled.
Case Title: Public Service Commission, U.P., Prayagraj through its Secretary vs. State of U.P. and 47 Others
Case Number: Special Appeal Defective No. 816 of 2025
