Have Decided To Publish Provisional Answer Key Post Preliminary Examination: UPSC Informs Supreme Court

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has informed the Supreme Court that it has decided to publish the provisional answer key after the preliminary examination is conducted.

The UPSC had filed an Affidavit last month, stating that the final answer key shall be published after declaration of the final results. The same was filed in a pending Petition relating to the Civil Services Examination.

The UPSC said that during the pendency of the matter, it has deliberated upon various factors including the suggestion of the Amicus Curiae appointed by the Apex Court. The UPSC conducts examinations, including the prestigious Civil Services Examination.

The affidavit, filed through Advocate Vardhman Kaushik, read, "As a consequence of comprehensive deliberation and considering the pious role assigned to the UPSC as a constitutional body, the Commission has arrived at a conscious and well considered decision as under: (a) Publishing the provisional answer key, after the preliminary examination is conducted."

It said that representations or objections would be sought from the candidates who appeared in the examination. The affidavit further said that each such representation or objection should be supported by three authoritative sources and objections, which are not so supported, should be rejected at the threshold.

"However, the Commission will decide whether the sources produced are authoritative or not", it said.

According to the affidavit, the provisional answer key and objections or representations received from candidates on question paper and answer keys shall be placed before a set or team of experts of the concerned subject, who shall undertake an in-depth consideration of all the aspects and will finalise the answer keys and such finalised answer key by the team of subject experts shall constitute the basis of declaration of the results of preliminary examination.

The affidavit said that the Commission desires to start following these modalities as expeditiously as possible.

"The decision taken by the UPSC is considered to be an effective and adequate redressal of the grievances raised in the petition and to enhance the level of transparency in the functioning of the UPSC and also to further the cause of public interest", it said.

With PTI Inputs