Srinagar, Dec 21: The J&K High Court Friday stayed the selection process of Kashmir Administrative Service (KAS) examination held vide a notification of 2016 following complaints of irregularities in the main examination conducted by the J&K Public Service Commission (PSC).
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Gita Mital and Justice Saneev Kumar directed “there shall be stay of further selection process till next date of hearing”, scheduled for 28th of January, 2019.
A number of aggrieved candidates, who were present in person before the court, had raised before the bench the matter with regard to “massive irregularities” in the KAS examination by the Commission for which the notification was issued in 2016.
Through a representation, (dated 17.12,2018 with the signatures of 83 applicants), the aggrieved candidates complained of alleged irregularities in the PSC held Combined Competitive (Mains) examination conducted from July 02 to August 08, 2018.
The court took the representation as a suo moto matter.
Around 6430 candidates had appeared in the examination and 963 candidates qualified for personality test/viva-voice.
The aggrieved candidates protested with regard to the digital marking in the examination, data corruption and huge human errors.
They submitted that the PSC has resorted to “arbitrary scaling and moderation” which was not however mentioned in the notification when the posts were advertised.
Giving importance to the issues raised by the aggrieved candidates, the division bench directed notice against the respondent departments and agencies.
The notice was instantly accepted in the court by Azharul Amin, the counsel representing the Commission.
The respondents have been directed to file detailed counter-affidavit meeting the objections pointed out by the aggrieved candidates and to show cause as to why this petition be not admitted.
The court appointed senior advocate Z A Shah as Amicus Curie in the matter. He has been asked examine the issue and place appropriate written submissions before the court on next date of hearing.
