UP: Allahabad HC quashes results of PCS Prelims Exam 2021 over reservation to ex-armymen

PRAYAGRAJ: The Allahabad High Court has quashed the results of PCS (Preliminary) Examination 2021 and directed the UP Public Service Commission to issue fresh results after giving the benefit of 5 percent reservation to ex-servicemen. Justice Sangeeta Chandra passed the order on Tuesday while hearing a petition filed by four former army personnel.

"The results declared for preliminary examination without giving the benefit of reservation to ex-army men are vitiated and quashed. Consequently, the second respondent is directed to recalibrate the result of the examination and give the benefit of reservation to ex-army personnel on Group B and Group C posts,” the court observed. “After the publication of preliminary examination results within one month, admit cards be issued for the main written examination accordingly and results thereof be declared giving 5% reservation on Group B posts as well to ex-army personnel," it said.

With the above observations, Justice Chandra allowed the petition filed by four Junior Commissioned Officers (retired from the army after completing the required number of years of service) praying for a direction to be issued to the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) to implement 5 per cent reservation for ex-servicemen in the ongoing selection process for Combined State Upper Subordinate Services (PCS) Examination 2021 and Assistant Conservator of Forest/Range Forest Officer Services Examination 2021. According to the petition, PCS Exam 2021 advertisement was released on February 5, 2021.

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The last date for submission of an online application was March 5, 2021, which was later extended to March 17, 2021. Meanwhile, the amendment regarding 5 percent reservation for the ex-servicemen was notified on March 3, 2021. The petitioners -- Satish Chandra Shukla and three others -- contended that despite the publication of the notification before the last date of application, the UPPSC refused to give the benefit of reservation to the ex-servicemen. The high court, while allowing the petition, said that when the 2021 amendment was notified, the online form-filling portal was open till March 17, 2021. In such a situation, had the UPPSC been cautious, it could have given the benefit of reservation to Group B and Group C posts.

It is worth mentioning that on December 1, 2021, UPPSC declared the results of the PCS (Preliminary) Examination-2021 in which 7,688 candidates were declared successful. A total of 3,21,273 of the registered 6,91,173 candidates appeared in the examination held at 1,505 centres in 31 districts of the state on October 24, 2021.

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The UPPSC then conducted PCS (Mains)-2021 for candidates declared qualified in the preliminary exam at centres in Lucknow, Prayagraj and Ghaziabad between March 23 and 27, 2022 in which a total of 5,957 candidates appeared. UPPSC declared the result of PCS (Mains)-2021 on July 12, 2022. A total of 1,285 candidates were declared successful in the main examination for recruitment against 623 posts on offer. After announcing the interview schedule for Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services Examination-2021, commonly known as PCS-2021, the commission kick-started interviews of the candidates on July 21 and is to complete it on August 5.