Imphal: Manipur High Court Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma ruled that candidates maintain the right to inspect their evaluated answer scripts for the 2016 Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination. This decision dismisses three writ petitions filed by the Manipur Public Service Commission against the Manipur Information Commission.
The state commission previously denied requests for certified copies of scripts. The court found that while policies from May 4 and October 28, 2020, block the release of certified copies, they do not forbid personal inspection. Justice Sharma noted the court was not ruling on the validity of those policies, as a Division Bench is already reviewing the matter.
The MPSC argued against disclosure, citing Supreme Court cases like Union Public Service Commission v. Angesh Kumar. Senior advocate M. Rarry, assisted by M. Nikita, claimed that releasing scripts could hurt the integrity of the testing system. However, the court distinguished these cases, citing Mradul Mishra v. Chairman, U.P. Public Service Commission. The court stated, "Permitting a candidate to inspect his or her answer sheets does not affect public interest or the integrity of the examination system."
Counsel for the applicants, S. Rupachandra and Royal Salam, argued that candidates remain satisfied with the ability to peruse their own work. K. Kishan also supported this position. K. Roshan represented the Manipur Information Commission, maintaining that inspection improves transparency. The MPSC must now comply with the original order within 30 days. Each party will cover its own legal costs.
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