Summary
Cancellation of the Revenue Talati recruitment examination was upheld on reasonable material indicating widespread malpractice. The State need not first prove every allegation as in a court trial or identify every wrongdoer. A fresh examination with age relaxation preserved candidates’ opportunity and bore a sufficient nexus to restoring the process’s purity.
Issues
- Whether cancellation required judicial-standard proof of every malpractice.
- Whether cancelling the whole examination was irrational or disproportionate.
Provisions considered
- Article 14, Constitution of IndiaThe Court examined arbitrariness and the equal-treatment challenge to cancelling the entire process. (¶ 24–29)
Held
- OMR aberrations supplied prima facie support for widespread tampering. Requiring full judicial proof before remedial action would undermine public interest and administrative efficiency. (¶ 22–23)
- The decision was not Wednesbury unreasonable. Even considering the equal-treatment objection, exhaustive individual identification would consume time; all could compete afresh and age relaxation addressed the legal disadvantage. (¶ 24–29)
Result
Appeals dismissed without costs; cancellation upheld.