The Punjab and Haryana High Court clarified that once objections raised by candidates in competitive examinations are presented to an expert committee and the committee’s report is accepted by the concerned recruiting agency, the court will not interfere in the process, even if there are unresolved grey areas. This ruling came after hearing petitions filed by candidates who had competed for the post of Naib Tehsildar, advertised by the Punjab Public Service Commission (PPSC).
The petitioners argued that the PPSC had not resolved objections raised against certain answers in the provisional answer key of the written examination held on June 18, 2023. However, the court dismissed these claims, stating that the objections had been reviewed by the expert committee, whose report was accepted by the PPSC. The court emphasized that any ambiguity should work in favor of the recruiting agency, not the candidates.
Justice Harsimran Singh Sethi, who passed the order, noted that once the committee's report is submitted and accepted, the court cannot review its correctness. The court further noted that the finalization of the answer key based on the expert's report was in accordance with the proper procedure, and thus the PPSC's actions were valid.
This ruling sets a precedent for similar future cases where expert committee reports play a critical role in the examination process.
