Bihar District Judges Exam: SC Upholds Minimum Marks Criteria In Interview For Selection

The candidates had highlighted that only 9 candidates in the interview were selected against a total of 99 vacancies for the post of district judges in Bihar.

46 unsuccessful candidates of the District Judges examination held in Bihar in 2015 had moved the top court seeking directions to the high court to consider appointing them

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The Supreme Court on Monday upheld the minimum marks requirement in interviews for the Bihar Judicial Services Examination and rejected the plea filed by unsuccessful candidates from Bihar seeking direction to set aside the final result of the District Judges examination, 2015 on the ground that the interview process was arbitrary. The candidates had highlighted that only 9 candidates in the interview were selected against a total of 99 vacancies.

The court was told that 69 candidates were called for the interview post-written examination, and in viva voce, 60 candidates, who had performed fairly well in the written test, were given below 10 marks, out of 50, and as a result, they were declared unsuccessful.

A bench of Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Prashant Kumar Mishra rejected the pleas today.

"Interviews are to produce better judicial candidates and do not violate Article 14. Policies like moderation of marks should ideally be part of the rules," the bench said.

46 unsuccessful candidates of the District Judges examination held in Bihar in 2015 had moved the top court seeking directions to the high court to consider appointing them after relaxing minimum marks prescribed for the interview.

The plea also sought striking down of a provision of the Bihar Superior Judicial (Amendment) Rules 2013.

The petitioners moved top court seeking immediate interference calling the selection process was arbitrary. The petitioners claimed that this violated their rights under Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution.