Lucknow: Due to negligence by the postal department, a promising candidate, Anmol Kumar Gupta, was unable to participate in the PCS 2024 main examination. Anmol had submitted his hard copy application form to the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) via registered post well within the deadline. However, the postal delay caused the application to reach the commission after the prescribed cutoff date of April 1, leading to cancellation of his candidature.
In the first week of June, UPPSC canceled the candidature of 138 candidates, including Anmol, for the PCS 2024 mains scheduled to be held from June 29 onwards due to delayed receipt of application forms.
Candidate Challenges UPPSC’s Decision in High Court
Following the cancellation, Anmol filed a petition in the High Court challenging the commission’s decision. During the hearing, the UPPSC advocate contended that granting relief to one candidate because of postal delay could open floodgates for similar petitions from others.
However, the High Court rejected this argument on July 18, citing a Supreme Court judgment in the case of Sadaf Imran vs UPPSC (Writ Petition No. 581/2023) dated January 19, 2024. The Supreme Court had clearly stated that if a candidate sends the application on time, but postal delay occurs, the candidate cannot be penalized for it. The High Court ruled that this legal precedent invalidated the commission’s stance.
Exam Concluded Before High Court Order, Creating a Dilemma
Unfortunately, by the time the High Court delivered its order on July 18, the PCS 2024 Main Examination had already been completed. UPPSC conducted the exam from June 29 to July 2, leaving no opportunity for Anmol and other affected candidates to appear.
The hearing of this petition will continue on September 1, as the candidates seek further relief.
Background: PCS 2024 Examination Details and Candidate Statistics
The preliminary examination for PCS 2024 was conducted on December 22, 2024, following widespread protests by candidates over standardization issues. A total of 576,154 candidates had registered for the prelims, but only 241,212 (41.87%) appeared.
Out of these, 14,857 candidates qualified for the mains examination held from June 29 to July 2, 2025, where about 92% of the candidates actually appeared for the exam.
What Next for the Candidates?
With the High Court’s ruling favoring candidates who faced postal delays, there is pressure on UPPSC to reconsider the candidature cancellations. Candidates like Anmol Kumar Gupta await a possible reopening or alternative arrangements to ensure a fair chance at the examination.
