The Rajasthan High Court on Thursday scrapped the 2021 police sub-inspector recruitment examination, citing large-scale irregularities and a paper leak scandal that has rocked the state for nearly 3 years.
Justice Sameer Jain, in a strongly worded judgment, said the recruitment process was tainted by “illegality and fraud on the system” and criticised the state government for failing to act decisively despite mounting evidence.
“It is strange that the state government did not take any decision on the subject. The court’s ruling should serve as a deterrent for the gangs playing with the future of youths,” said senior advocate Major R P Singh, who represented the petitioners.
Exam At Centre Of Political Storm
The recruitment process, which had advertised 859 posts for sub-inspectors and platoon commanders, became a flashpoint between the BJP and Congress governments.
During the 2023 Assembly elections, the BJP made the exam leak a major campaign issue, accusing the then Congress government of shielding the accused. However, after coming to power, the BJP-led state government also refrained from cancelling the exam, despite growing public anger.
RPSC Under Scanner
The court also referred the matter to a division bench to examine the role of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) and its members, who were alleged to have had a hand in the scandal.
The recruitment test was conducted in September 2021, but soon after, reports emerged of the paper being leaked. The case was handed over to the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police, which has since arrested more than 50 trainee sub-inspectors along with several others linked to the leak.
State Panel Opposed Cancellation
Interestingly, a cabinet sub-committee had earlier recommended against scrapping the recruitment, arguing that innocent candidates would be unfairly penalised. The High Court, however, dismissed this view, observing that the scale of malpractice had completely undermined the credibility of the examination.
With the exam now cancelled, the state government and the RPSC face the challenge of determining whether a fresh recruitment will be conducted. The High Court’s referral to the division bench also raises the possibility of deeper scrutiny into the conduct and accountability of RPSC officials.
Currently, the verdict has brought relief to thousands of aspirants who had demanded justice, while also intensifying the spotlight on Rajasthan’s examination system — long plagued by leak scandals.
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