NAINITAL (Wednesday, March 11, 2026) — In a significant victory for job aspirants, the Uttarakhand High Court has struck down a restrictive rule of the Uttarakhand Public Service Commission (UKPSC) that prevented candidates from verifying their answer sheets during intermediate stages of recruitment. The court declared that withholding evaluated answer scripts until the final results are announced is unconstitutional and violates the fundamental principles of transparency and fairness.
The Ruling: Transparency as a Constitutional Mandate
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Manoj Kumar Gupta and Justice Subhash Upadhyay delivered the judgment while hearing a cluster of petitions filed by candidates like Rajveer Singh and Ruchi Rana.
- The Challenge: Candidates who appeared for the Additional Private Secretary (APS) recruitment challenged the shorthand examination results declared on February 3, 2026. Despite performing well, they were declared “unsuccessful” and were denied access to their shorthand notebooks and typed transcripts.
- The “Wait Until Final” Rule: UKPSC guidelines (specifically a footnote in the result notice and provisions in their Conduct Rules) mandated that answer sheets would only be available for inspection after the entire two-stage process (Skill Test + Written Exam) was completed.
- Court’s Verdict: The bench ruled that evaluated answer sheets fall under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. It held that delaying inspection causes “irreparable harm” because by the time the final results are out, correcting errors in the first stage becomes nearly impossible.
Impact on the APS Recruitment 2024-25
The order directly affects the recruitment for 99 posts of Additional Private Secretary in the Dehradun Secretariat and the UKPSC.
| Stage of Process | Current Status | Court-Ordered Change |
| Stage 1 (Skill Test) | Hindi/English Shorthand & Typing, Computer Knowledge. | Unsuccessful candidates can now immediately verify their notebooks and transcripts. |
| Stage 2 (Written) | General Studies and Essay/Drafting. | Candidates eliminated in Stage 1 can now seek correction before Stage 2 commences. |
Why This Precedent Matters
The court emphasized that “transparency cannot be compromised under the guise of procedural integrity.” This ruling sets a precedent for all future UKPSC examinations where:
- Right to Inspect: Evaluated scripts are no longer “confidential” documents that can be withheld from the examinee.
- Timely Correction: Errors in evaluation (especially in technical tests like shorthand) must be addressable while the recruitment is still active.
- Judicial Oversight: The court warned that administrative rules cannot obstruct statutory rights granted under the RTI Act, 2005.
Sources
- Press Trust of India (PTI): “Uttarakhand HC declares state PSC rule on answer sheet verification unconstitutional” (March 11, 2026)
- The Times of India: “U’khand HC allows unsuccessful candidates to inspect answer sheets in govt recruitment exam” (March 12, 2026)
- Devdiscourse: “Uttarakhand High Court Upholds Transparency in Recruitment Exams” (March 12, 2026)
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