HCS exam row: HC agrees to constitute experts’ panel

Having found fault with the preliminary examination of Haryana Civil Services (HCS) executive, the Punjab and Haryana High Court on Thursday agreed in principle to constitute an experts' committee. Nearly four months ago, the High Court had deferred the main written examination.

The Haryana Public Service Commission (HPSC) also informed the Court, during the resumed hearing of a petition, that it would constitute a subject-wise expert committee and examine all the representations by the petitioners and other candidates. More than 136 representations were submitted to the commission after the publishing of the answer keys, in addition to the 151 representations that were earlier received. The HPSC agreed that 40 questions were found to be wrong.

A single Bench on August 30 had held that the Commission created confusion by not making public the answer key. The orders were passed on a bunch of 21 petitions filed by Jitender Kumar and others through counsel Vijay Kumar Jindal against the HPSC.

Allowing the petitions, Justice Augustine George Masih had directed the HPSC to constitute a committee of experts to consider as many as 151 representations received by the commission regarding the questions. "The Commission shall consider the same and take steps in accordance to the law," the Bench had ruled.

Directing the HPSC to publish the answer key of the preliminary examination, the single Bench had also asked the commission to call for representations from the candidates within a reasonable time before referring these to the experts' committee.

It shall consider the representations before submitting its opinion to the commission, which shall thereafter take a decision and take appropriate steps in accordance with law. Subsequently, an appeal against the orders were filed before a division bench.

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