The Punjab and Haryana High Court has declined to interfere with the law entrance examination conducted by Panjab University for its 5-year integrated B.A/B.Com LL.B course, rejecting a plea that challenged the test on grounds of being "too difficult."
The petitioners had argued that the exam included highly complex questions that were unsuitable for students qualified only up to Class 12. They contended that many questions were similar to LL.M or postgraduate-level standards and thus not appropriate for an undergraduate-level entrance test.
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In response, the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sheel Nagu and Justice Sumeet Goel strongly rejected the plea. They observed that competitive exams are meant to assess candidates’ skills, preparation, and understanding in a relative and fair manner.
“Even if some questions were difficult, the same paper was given to all candidates, hence the fairness and equality of the examination process is maintained,” the bench said.
The judges also emphasized the subjective nature of exam difficulty, pointing out that what one candidate finds tough, another may find easy. The Court underlined that no exam can ever be perfectly objective or foolproof in evaluating each individual's knowledge and capabilities.
“There can be no clear and objective rule to decide whether a question is tough or easy. One may struggle, another may succeed with the same question,” the Court noted.
During the hearing, Justice Goel quoted Shakespeare's famous line from Hamlet to reflect the dilemma students often feel before and after exams:
“To be, or not to be, that is the question:
Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer;
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them.”
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The petitioners' lawyer, Mr. Praveen Chauhan, argued that the high level of difficulty made the exam unfair for those just out of school. On the other hand, Mr. Akshay Kumar Goel, appearing for Panjab University, defended the integrity and structure of the exam.
The Court noted that more than a thousand candidates had taken the same test and that the results were already announced. In the absence of any evidence showing deliberate targeting or unfair disadvantage to a specific group, the Court found no reason to interfere.
“Every competitive exam is, by nature, a comparison. It is not possible to design a test that is perfectly suited for everyone,” the bench stated.
The Court concluded that unless it could be clearly shown that certain individuals or a specific group were unfairly treated, the examination process should not be disturbed.
Thus, the High Court dismissed the petition and upheld the validity of the entrance examination.
Case Title: Shifali Verma and others v. Panjab University, Chandigarh and another
