Plea in Supreme Court to defer Bihar judicial services exam

A group of aspiring judicial officers have filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking postponement of Bihar Judicial Services Competitive Examination in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The plea filed by 13 students challenged the “unjust, arbitrary and unreasonable" act of the Bihar Public Service Commission in issuing the notification for the post of 221 Civil Judges (Junior Grade)/ Judicial Magistrate and prescribing the time line for registration, online application.

“The petitioners submit that the impugned Notice/ notifications are in utter disregard to the fundamental rights and legitimate expectations associated with the said examination which is scheduled to be held on October 7, 2020.

“The said notifications directly and substantially violate the fundamental right of Equality of Opportunity in public employment guaranteed under Articles 14, 16 and 19 of the Constitution of India to the Petitioners and thousands of their fellow aspirants,” the plea said.

The petitioners have sought quashing or setting aside of the notification.

The plea, to be argued by advocate Rajeev Ranjan, said notifications are irrational, prejudicial, arbitrary and manifestly “lacking a sound administrative mind".

“These are also likely to cause a serious breach to public health due to their inconsistency with the Disaster Management Act and Infectious Diseases Act,” the plea filed through advocate Arvind Gupta said.

According to the petitioners the present situation is likely to make it nearly impossible for the aspirants as well as a very large number of their fellow candidates to take the forthcoming competitive examination.

“It is submitted that schools and colleges might become the breeding ground for the spread of the pandemic as thousands of candidates would gather from various places at their respective examination centres.

“It will be also difficult to ensure sanitization of the question papers and answer sheets/OMRs during the course of examination. Given the statics of the pandemic, it will be against the right to life of the candidates and would raise an unwarranted health emergency,” the plea said.