The Delhi High Court has delivered a split decision on two writ petitions involving candidates disqualified by the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board (DSSSB) due to errors in filling their roll numbers on OMR sheets. Justice Navin Chawla and Justice Madhu Jain, in a common judgment pronounced on August 21, 2025, took a nuanced view depending on how the mistakes affected evaluation.
Background: The OMR Bubbling Dilemma
Both cases stemmed from exams held in 2017 for government teaching posts. Hundreds of candidates were rejected because they had incorrectly “bubbled” one digit of their roll numbers, even though they had correctly written the number in digits. DSSSB relied on this technical lapse to deny evaluation.
One petition was filed by Ms. Niharika Puhan (W.P.(C) 17595/2024), a candidate for the post of Physical Education Teacher, while the other was filed by Ms. Kusum Gupta (W.P.(C) 1282/2025), an applicant for the post of TGT Special Education Teacher.
The Court drew a sharp distinction between the two. In Gupta’s case, DSSSB had already evaluated her OMR sheet, declared her qualified, and even asked her to upload documents before abruptly cancelling her result citing the bubbling error. Observing that this created unnecessary hardship, the Bench directed, “Once the sheet was evaluated and the candidate declared successful, she cannot be denied the fruits of selection for a small mistake.”
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The judges ordered DSSSB to issue her an appointment letter within eight weeks, granting her notional seniority but not back wages.
Puhan, however, met a different fate. Since her OMR sheet was never evaluated due to the incorrect bubbling, relief was denied. The Court noted that condoning such mistakes years later would “reopen results and create a cascade of fresh disputes.”
Wider Implications for Exams
The judgment highlights the recurring issue in Indian competitive exams where strict technical requirements often lead to large-scale disqualifications. DSSSB admitted that in one exam alone, over 160 candidates were rejected solely because of bubbling errors.
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Legal experts point out that while courts can intervene in cases of arbitrary cancellation, they are cautious not to disturb entire recruitment processes. As the Bench reminded, "Sympathy cannot replace rule of law in matters of examination evaluation."
For thousands of young jobseekers, the ruling sends a clear message: minor errors may sometimes be condoned, but exam instructions must be followed with utmost precision.
Case Title: Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board & Anr. v. Niharika Puhan
Case No.: W.P.(C) 17595/2024 & CM APPL. 74873/2024
