PPSC agrees to change negative marking criteria

CHANDIGARH: Less than a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court observed that the provision for negative marking for candidates raising objections to wrong answer keys in the selection of 118 Ayurvedic Medical Officers was arbitrary and draconian, the Punjab Public Service Commission has agreed to change the criteria.

Saurabh Malik

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 21

Less than a month after the Punjab and Haryana High Court observed that the provision for negative marking for candidates raising objections to wrong answer keys in the selection of 118 Ayurvedic Medical Officers was arbitrary and draconian, the Punjab Public Service Commission has agreed to change the criteria. The undertaking to this effect came about two years after the Punjab Public Service Commission initiated the process.

As the petition filed by Prabhpreet Singh and other petitioners through counsel Hari Chand Arora came up for hearing, PPSC Chairman Lt Gen NPS Hira and Secretary Jasleen Kaur appeared before Justice Jaswant Singh’s Bench in compliance with earlier directions. Referring to the issue of the negative marking for wrong objections as notified in a public notice, Justice Jaswant Singh observed that the PPSC, after deliberation, agreed to change the criteria.

It was also agreed to have a relook at the format of uploading of the questions along with their answer keys so as to remove any doubt which may be harboured by the candidates. “It is also agreed that after examining both aspects in the next few days, a fresh corrigendum will be issued and necessary affidavit would be filed before the next date,” Justice Jaswant Singh added.

A reference to the order was made before the vacation Bench of Justice Amit Rawal on Thursday morning during the hearing of a petition on similar issue filed against the Punjab Public Service Commission and another respondent by Sandeep Kumar through counsel Davinder Singh Khurana.

The challenge in the present writ petition was to answer keys dated May 23 issued by the PPSC in pursuance of examination held for filing the posts of Assistant District Attorney for which interview was slated for June 25. Referring to appointment of Ayurvedic doctors, Khurana said the criteria of negative marking “has already been commented upon to be fallacious”. Issuing notice of motion, Justice Rawal fixed the case for further hearing on Friday. “Let reply, if any, by way of affidavit be filed by then,” Justice Rawal added.