HC rejects plea againstmin marks in interview

PATNA: The Patna high court has dismissed a plea challenging the provisions of minimum qualifying marks of 35% at the interview stage of judicial services examinations in Bihar.
A division bench of Justices Ashutosh Kumar and Harish Kumar, while dismissing the writ petition of Swati Swarnim, passed the verdict on June 28.
The petitioner, a law graduate from B R Ambedkar Bihar University, had filed the petition against the amended rule 15 (C) of the Bihar Civil Services (Judicial Branch) Recruitment Rules, prescribing 35% minimum qualifying marks in interview conducted for selection of judicial officers in Bihar.The petitioner had participated in the selection process, the vacancies whereof was advertised in 2020. After interview, Swati secured a total of 461 marks, which was 14 points more than the requisite aggregate cutoff for the category which she belonged to. But she could not find her place in the final selection list as her marks in individual interview was lower than the cutoff.
Terming such provision as “draconian”, Swati prayed to the high court for her selection on the basis of attaining more than aggregate cutoff.
Advocates Sanjay Pandey and Piyush Lal, counsels representing BPSC and the high court administration, respectively, opposed this petition citing another case on identical issue in which a division bench of the high court had already turned down the plea challenging the legality of Rule 15(C).