https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Delhi HC Considers Maintainability of CS Aspirants’ Plea for Prelims Answer Key

Counsel was also given time to provide written submissions on the petition's maintainability
Indian Masterminds Stories

The Delhi High Court reserved its decision on the maintainability of a petition filed by 17 civil service aspirants challenging the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) decision to publish the answer key for the Civil Services Examination 2023 only after the final result was announced.

Justice Chandra Dhari Singh further noted the aspirants’ counsel’s position that the other two prayers in the petition – challenging the preliminary test and re-conducting the exam – are not being pursued in the case.

On July 3, the high court had asked the UPSC to file its preliminary objections on the plea.

The petition also challenges the UPSC press release announcing the preliminary examination results on June 12. The UPSC stated in it that “candidates are also informed that marks, cut off marks, and answer keys of the CS(P) Examination, 2023 will be uploaded on the Commission’s website, i.e. https://upsc.gov.in only after the entire process of the Civil Services Examination 2023 is completed, that is, after the declaration of the final result.”

According to the submission, the impugned press notice has been challenged on the grounds that the UPSC is not making the answer key available to the candidates, calling the action “arbitrary.”

The petition requests that the UPSC publish the answer key immediately.

Counsel also argued that the high court has jurisdiction to hear the civil service candidates’ grievances. Previously, UPSC advocate Naresh Kaushik raised an objection, claiming that the matter should be handled by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which is the competent forum and where another group of aspirants has already moved to reduce the cut off for qualifying Part II (CSAT) exam from 33% to 23%.

He argued that the petition was maintainable and that the Administrative Tribunals Act forbade the high court from hearing the dispute over the recruitment procedure. He also claimed that the contested news release is part of the recruitment process, and thus the high court lacks jurisdiction to hear the petition.

The petitioners claim that the recruiting cycle was conducted arbitrarily, citing the unavailability of answer keys, rejecting candidates’ representations, and posing excessively unclear questions that required guesswork.

They have argued that releasing the answer key after the exam would ensure fairness and allow candidates to have a better understanding of the evaluation process.

The petition also highlights that other institutions, such as state Public Service Commissions, IITs, NLUs, IIMs, and the High Court of Delhi for the Delhi Judicial Service Examination, promptly release provisional answer keys and invite objections from candidates before finalising the answer key based on those objections.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
Mohan Yadav
MP CM Mohan Yadav Pushes for Sustainable, Community-Driven Rural Water Policy; Targets 100% Tap Coverage by March 2027
Ajay Bhadoo IAS
IAS Ajay Bhadoo Gets Extended Term as DGFT - What It Means & His Career Journey
THDCIL_Receives_ABMS_Certification_for_Integrity_and_Transparency
THDC India (THDCIL) Awarded ISO 37001:2016 Anti-Bribery Certification by BIS - Details Inside
Ministry of Environment
Environment Ministry Clarifies Petrol Vehicle Tender, Cites E-Vehicle Flexibility
Bokaro Steel Plant
PESB Selects Priya Ranjan to Head Bokaro Steel Plant, SAIL’s Key Production Unit
REC Limited wins ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC (DNA) Awards
REC Limited Bags ‘Best Design Thinking Award’ at 5th Distinguished NBFC Awards
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
Resisted Flawed Schemes, Transferred Thrice In Three Months, Found Solace In Writing
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
IAS SVR Srinivas on Mumbai Trans Harbour Link, Tough Calls, and the Real Power of IAS Officers | Video Interview
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
Dharavi Redevelopment: IAS Minds Turning 100-Year-Old Slum into a Modern City | Video Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Minnu P M
“Lazy, Sleepy, Yet Determined”: Minnu P M’s Honest Take on Cracking UPSC
Minnu PM, once a clerk in Kerala Police, cleared UPSC with AIR 150 after five years of struggle. Her...
IPS Ashish Tiwari
From IIT and Investment Banking to Public Service, Meet IPS Ashish Tiwari 
Ashish Tiwari, IIT graduate and former investment banker, chose public service over global finance. As...
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-12 at 7.27
First Attempt IRS, Fourth Attempt IPS: The Relentless Pursuit of Jitendra Kumar Yadav Who Cracked UPSC 3 Times
IPS Yadav is originally from Chhattisgarh. He was first selected for the IRS through UPSC and later for...
Social Media
Masahiro Hara
From Go Board to Global Use, How QR Codes Changed the World: IRAS Officer Ananth Rupanagudi Spotlights Masahiro Hara’s Vision
IRAS officer Ananth Rupanagudi shared a video on Masahiro Hara, the inventor of QR codes, highlighting...
IFS Susanta Nanda Video
A Mother’s Duty: Tigress Watches Over Cubs Splashing in Waterhole — Heartwarming Video Shared By Retd. IFS Officer Susanta Nanda
A tender wildlife video shared by Retd. IFS officer Susanta Nanda shows a tigress keeping watch over...
Mohanmala
Kaziranga Mourns: Beloved Elephant Mohanmala Passes Away After Five Decades of Service
Kaziranga National Park mourns the loss of Mohanmala, a beloved elephant who served over 50 years as...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC
NCST Holds Review Meeting with NHPC on Implementation of Safeguards for Scheduled Tribe Employees
MP CM Collector Award Niti Aayog
Sampurnata Abhiyan: Madhya Pradesh Leads NITI Aayog Campaign; Collectors from 8 Districts Win Gold
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-11 at 4.48
WhatsApp Image 2025-08-08 at 5.25
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT