NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has ruled that the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is not obligated to disclose raw and scaled marks of civil services examinations under the Right to Information (RTI) Act.
A Bench headed by Justice U U Lalit has refused to reconsider its earlier ruling whereby it had cited confidentiality and integrity of the UPSC exams to put the scores of ‘India’s most prestigious exam’ outside the purview of the Act.
The court dismissed a bunch of review petitions filed against the order in February and reaffirmed its judgment setting aside the Delhi High Court ruling and dismissing all the writ petitions filed by civil services aspirants seeking disclosure of marks under RTI.
In February, the apex court had noted that disclosure of marks could have severe negative impact on the evaluation process and not only the prestige but the very integrity of the system could be compromised.
“Weighing the need for transparency and accountability on the one hand and requirement of optimum use of fiscal resources and confidentiality of sensitive information on the other, we are of the view that information sought with regard to marks in civil services exam cannot be directed to be furnished mechanically,” the Supreme Court had held.
The court also underscored the difficulties expressed by UPSC that disclosure could lead to unnecessary resentment, litigation and revealing the identity of evaluators, thereby putting in peril the integrity of the process and inviting hordes of litigation.