Bhubaneswar: The Odisha Information Commission has asked the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to reveal the interview marks to unsuccessful candidates in recruitment examinations.

Odisha State Chief Information Commissioner Manoj Parida has recently passed an order in this regard recently.

The Information Commissioner pronounced the order while hearing a petition filed by one Minati Rani Mohapatra of Bhadrak district, who was not selected for the post of assistant teacher in 2002.

As per the advertisement, the selection was based on career marks and interview marks. Mohapatra could not qualify in the recruitment examinations, the results of which were published by the OPSC in June 2002.

Unhappy with the results, Mohapatra had filed an application before the OPSC asking details of her marks scored in career assessment and interview. The OPSC provided her career marks but refused to reveal her interview marks.

Mohapatra, subsequently, filed a petition before the Odisha Information Commission. During hearing, the OPSC told the Information Commission that it had not fixed any minimum mark for selection of the candidates for the posts of assistant teachers. Besides, the OPSC had not recorded the interview marks of any candidate for the posts.

“Interview is a test of candidates’ personality, their speaking skills and among others. The suitability of candidates for a particular post is judged in the interview. The candidates are only given information as to whether they were found suitable or un-suitable. Specific marks are not disclosed nor any merit list published,” said the OPSC in its argument.

In its order, the Information Commission made it clear that the decision of the OPSC with regard to Mohaptra’s application was contrary to the provisions of the RTI Act.

“The candidate has a right to know the marks scored in the interview, so that she could improve her performance in the next attempt. Every candidate particularly the candidates who have failed the test have a right to know as to why they could not succeed. The OPSC cannot keep the candidates in dark,” said the Information Commission.

Section 22 of the RTI Act, 2005 supersedes all other Acts and Rules in providing information to applicants, added the Information Commission while advising the OPSC to change its procedure and provide details regarding marks scored in recruitment exams to the candidates.