Allahabad High Court postpones UPPSC mains, orders revised prelims merit list

The Allahabad High Court, on Thursday, September 25, ordered the Uttar Pradesh Public Service Commission (UPPSC) to postpone its mains examination and re-draw the merit list of the preliminary exam before proceeding further.

The directive came after petitions challenged the treatment of reserved category candidates in the preliminary results, as per a report by LiveLaw.

Issue with unreserved category placements

The petitions were filed by candidates who had applied for 609 posts, including Assistant Engineer (Civil/Mechanical), District Horticulture Officer, Food Processing Officer, and Senior Technical Assistant in various departments.

The main issue raised was that Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates who scored higher than general category candidates were considered only under the reserved category, and were not placed in the unreserved category, which is open to all candidates. Petitioners also argued that UPPSC did not follow the 1:15 ratio of candidates qualifying for the mains, with only 7,358 shortlisted against 609 vacancies.

After reviewing the case, the Court noted that while the 1:15 ratio was exceeded in reserved categories, it was not maintained for the unreserved category, creating a disparity. 

Disparity and level playing field principle

The Court observed that statutory concessions like age relaxation and fee exemptions for reserved candidates do not prevent them from being included in the unreserved category if they meet the required cut-off. 

Reserved category candidates who score at par or above the general category cut-off must be moved to the unreserved list to ensure a level playing field and adherence to constitutional principles of equality.

The Court directed UPPSC to prepare a revised merit list for the preliminary examination before conducting the mains exam, which was earlier scheduled for Sunday.