UPSC against transparency in selection process

The UPSC has opposed transparency in the civil service selection process on the ground that this would increase the probability of dummy candidates appearing for the examination, reports Bhadra Sinha.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has opposed transparency in the civil service selection process on the ground that this would increase the probability of dummy candidates appearing for the examination.

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Challenging a Delhi High Court order directing the UPSC to declare marks obtained by candidates appearing in the preliminary exams as well as the scoring methodology, it told the Supreme Court the availability of raw marks and scaled marks would reduce the civil services examination to a play-field of strategies and counter-strategies developed by coaching institutes.

Though a bench issued notice to 22 students on whose petition the high court had infused transparency in the examination system, it refused to stay implementation of that order. This means that until the SC decides the case, the UPSC will be bound under the Right to Information Act to declare marks scored by aspirants.

The UPSC also explained how its apprehension of dummy candidates appearing in exams could turn into reality. According to it, a lot of freedom is given to candidates in selecting optional subjects. And it is not necessary for a candidate to be a graduate in a particular discipline in order to opt a particular subject. “A candidate can select different subjects in different attempts. Since the preliminary exam is only to screen for serious candidates out of a large pool, they aren’t required to submit any proof of the details they fill in the application,” it said. Therefore, once raw marks and scaling marks are disclosed and inference drawn, there is likelihood of dummy candidates.