OAS-2011 exam merit list row: Odisha HC rejects SAT order

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Jan 16:

The Odisha High Court today turned down the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) order on publication of a revised merit list and directed the tribunal to conduct a fresh hearing in a division bench and decide the case within three months.

Hearing the case involving discrepancies in the OAS-2011 preliminary examination, a division bench comprising Justice Pradeep Mohanty and Justice Biswajit Mohanty rejected the SAT order in which the tribunal had directed the Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) to publish a revised list. While adjudicating the case, the court directed SAT to conduct the hearing afresh and conclude it within three months.

“The court today quashed the SAT order and directed the tribunal for a fresh judgement by a division bench within three months. This apart, the candidates who have cleared the preliminary examination would be made a party to the case after OPSC furnishes a detailed list,” legal advisor of OPSC Pradipta Mohanty said.

The court also ruled that status quo in the evaluation of the Odisha Civil Services (OCS)-2011 (Main) examinations papers will be maintained till the revised order of the SAT comes.

The state government and the OPSC should conduct OCS examination every year instead of conducting it every 2-3 years, the court directed.

“The High Court has directed OPSC to conduct OCS examination every year and asked them to provide a list of successful candidates who will be made a party to the case. A division bench would hear the case and give its verdict,” petitioner’s counsel Ashok Mohapatra said.

Notably, the Odisha High Court had, on December 24, reserved its verdict after hearing the arguments of candidates made a party to the cases, the principal petitioner who had approached SAT and others.

On August 26, the SAT had invalidated the OAS-2011 preliminary examination merit list and directed OPSC to publish a revised list. The OPSC had challenged the SAT order in the High Court terming it unconstitutional and urging the court to quash the order. In its petition , OPSC had stated that such a hearing by the SAT should have been done by a division bench. But it was conducted by a single member bench, with the acting chairman of SAT in it.

Earlier, a petitioner Priyambada Das had filed a case in the SAT challenging the OPSC decision to award grace marks for the flawed questions to candidates who appeared in the OAS-2011 preliminary examination.