Petition filed in Madras HC alleging rampant malpractice in conduct of TNPSC exam

A writ petition has been filed at the Madras High Court challenging the results of the main written examinations conducted by the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) in July 2016, on grounds of alleged malpractice and corruption..The case came up for hearing today before Justice SM Subramanian..After clearing the prelims, the transgender candidate-petitioner, had appeared for the impugned examination and hoped to obtain a position in Group I services. When the petitioner did not clear the mains, an RTI was filed seeking disclosure of the answer sheets, to which ze received no response..Later, ze came to know through a television broadcast on Satyam Television that the answers to the exams were likely leaked and circulated, and that the channel possessed the original answer sheet. Complaints lodged by the channel with the Chief Minister’s Cell, the City Police Commissioner and the TNPSC have received no response, as per the petitioner..The petitioner has averred,.“…the modus operandi as reported in the news programme is that blank unanswered pages from the answer sheets, are surreptitiously removed out and the concerned corrupt candidates are permitted to fill the same and then these answer sheets are inserted into the main answer books. Further there is no marking of marks on the actual answer sheets but only in a separate OMR answer Valuation sheet. (sic)”.Considering these facts, the petitioner has raised several questions, inter alia, why the TNPSC does not insist on striking out blank paper sheets and why the method of recording the marks on the answer sheet itself is not practiced..The petitioner has also challenged TNPSC for its failure to respond to the serious allegations of rampant malpractice despite having “supposed proof at its disposal”..It has been argued that if such corruption is allowed, the petitioner’s rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution will be infringed, and further that the state would be failing its duty to preserve institutional integrity under Article 51A..The petitioner has thus prayed for the Court to issue a writ of mandamus directing TNPSC to cancel the results of the impugned exams, and conduct fresh exams in a transparent manner..It has also been prayed that the Court pass interim orders to restrain the TNPSC from conducting further interviews until the matter is decided, and that the alleged original answer sheets in the possession of Satyam Television be produced before the court..The Court, on hearing the initial arguments, has directed that Satyam Television also be impleaded to the case..Read copy of Writ Petition below.