Delhi Judicial Services Exam: Candidates who cleared prelim exams may get another chance

The Supreme Court today said that it will appoint a retired apex court judge to re-examine the answer sheets of 659 candidates who had qualified the preliminary exam of the Delhi Judicial Service..It has, however, not passed any order to that effect. Instead, the Bench comprising Justices Dipak Misra and PC Pant has asked Additional Solicitor General Maninder Singh to ascertain the criteria based on which 15 candidates were selected..When the matter was last heard, the Court had issued notice to the 15 candidates who had qualified. Senior Advocate Gopal Subramanium entered appearance for them today..Justice Dipak Misra said that the court will pass an order to the effect that the answer sheets of those candidates who qualified the prelims will be evaluated on the same criteria based on which the 15 candidates were selected; and that if any of them are found eligible, they will be selected..The 15 candidates who have already been selected will be excluded from this process and their selection would remain..All the parties seemed agreeable to this suggestion. The Court then asked ASG Maninder Singh, who is representing the Delhi High Court, to inform the court about the criteria which were used to evaluate the 15 selected candidates. Maninder Singh said that he will take instructions and inform the court of the same..The Court agreed and posted the case for December 14..By way of background, a public interest litigation was filed in the Supreme Court by the Centre for PIL, alleging arbitrary valuation and selection of candidates in the Delhi Judicial Service Exam, 2014. The apex court subsequently issued notice to the Delhi High Court while refusing to stay the selections..However, Chief Justice G Rohini dismissed the allegations in a letter written to Law Minister DV Sadananda Gowda.