Selection of judges: SC asks for answer sheets

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Registrar General of Punjab and Haryana High Court to be present before it on May 3 with record of selection and evaluation of answer sheets of the candidates for the post of civil judge (junior division) in Haryana that took place 2017.

A bench presided over by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed that no appointment shall be made to the post without permission from the court.

The court's order came after hearing advocate Prashant Bhushan, who said there was something wrong with the process as even toppers, gold medalists and those selected in other states could not get through the exams.

He said that out of 1288 candidates who appeared for the main examination, only nine qualified for the viva-voce in the results declared on April 11. The selection process adopted for the Judicial Branch of the Haryana Civil Service was totally unreasonable, irrational and arbitrary, he added.

"The evaluation method appears to be so unreasonable and irrational that 99.298% candidates which includes toppers/gold medalist of their respective law schools and other states’ judicial service exams could not clear the main examination," a joint petition filed by Pranav Verma and 91 other unsuccessful candidates stated.

The bench comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna issued a notice to the Registrar General of the Punjab and Haryana HC and sought his presence with all records on May 3.