Jammu: The Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), Jammu Bench, has dismissed a set of applications seeking rescheduling of the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board (JKSSB) examination slated to be held later this month.
The plea had been filed separately by four candidates on the grounds that the JKSSB test dates — August 24 (Junior Engineer Electrical posts) and August 31 (Junior Engineer Civil posts) — clash with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination scheduled to be held from August 22-31.
The tribunal, however, declined to interfere with the examination schedule set by the JKSSB, saying more than 31,000 candidates cannot be made to suffer for the inconvenience of four candidates, as all preparations for holding the tests have been completed and admit cards issued to the aspirants.
“Moreover, interference with the examination process at this stage would cause a huge loss to the public exchequer due to cancellation of various arrangements made for the examination scheduled on Aug 24 and Aug 31,” the CAT bench, comprising Administrative member Pragya Sahay Saksena and Judicial member Sanjeev Gupta, said in a seven-page order.
The CAT passed the judgement after hearing the arguments from Senior Additional Advocate General (AAG) Monika Kohli, AAG Rajesh Thapa, AAG Sudesh Magotra and Deputy Advocate General Hunar Gupta for the respondents and senior advocate Abhinav Sharma, assisted by Abhimanyu Sharma for the applicants.
Kohli, in her argument, submitted that the Junior Engineer (Electrical) examination is scheduled on August 24 with 13,034 candidates against 292 posts and the Junior Engineer (Civil) examination is scheduled on August 31 with 18,885 candidates against 508 posts.
“In contrast to this, the request for postponement of the said examinations has been received from only four candidates (one from JE Civil and three from JE Electrical),” she said, adding that the preparation for the examinations is already complete and admit cards for the Junior Engineer (Electrical) Examinations have also been issued.
Further, printing of stationery, logistics and infrastructure arrangements have been finalised, she said.
The senior AAG said coordination for venue, security and staff deployment has already taken place, wherein a large amount of manpower and financial resources have been invested.
She averred that at this stage, any postponement of the examination would cause serious administrative problems, financial loss and wastage of resources.
Kohli said the date of JE (Civil/Electrical) examinations were notified on July 1, while the result of UPSC Preliminary Examination was declared on June 11 and despite having sufficient knowledge, the applicants did not raise any representation until August 2, after more than one month, when substantial preparations for the conduct of examinations were already completed.
“Had the petitioners been diligent, they could have raised their grievance immediately or at least within a fortnight of the notification of examination dates. The belated representations, thus, lack bona fides and deserve no consideration,” she said, adding it would neither be reasonable nor practical to disturb the entire examination process involving more than 31,000 candidates for just four applicants.
Agreeing with the arguments of the senior AAG, the CAT said the contention of the applicants that the dates of examination conducted by the JKSSB are in clash with the dates of the UPSC Main Examination is not a sufficient ground for rescheduling the exam.
It also said that the applicants’ concerns do not outweigh the need to maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and the rights of other candidates, who have made arrangements based on the existing examination schedule.
The bench referred to a judgement of the Supreme Court and said both the examinations (one conducted by J&K SSB and the other by UPSC) are of a different nature and different levels.
