Summary: The Bombay High Court has ruled in favor of candidates wanting to see their exam answer sheets. The decision, made on December 24, 2025, highlights the importance of being open and honest in grading for the Maharashtra Judicial Services Examination.
Several candidates, including Patil Naresh Dongar, Kartiki Awantika, Shruti Hemant Wade, and Amit Arun Londhe, took their case to the Bombay High Court. They were trying to become Civil Judges and Judicial Magistrates in Maharashtra but didn't pass due to what they claimed were mistakes in the grading process.
Patil Naresh Dongar and the other petitioners argued that the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC) didn't show them their graded answer sheets, which they said violated their rights under the Indian Constitution. They wanted to make sure their papers were graded fairly and asked for a second look at their scores.
The court, led by Chief Justice Shree Chandrashekhar and Justice Gautam A. Ankhad, decided that Patil Naresh Dongar, Kartiki Awantika, Shruti Hemant Wade, and Amit Arun Londhe should be allowed to see their answer sheets. This decision was influenced by earlier cases where grading methods were found to be careless.
"We thus find that such evaluation of civil answer-sheet is done in a careless manner," the court noted in a related case.
The petitioners used past legal cases to support their argument. They mentioned the case of "Tirtha Sarathi Mukherjee" where the Supreme Court allowed candidates to see their answer sheets to prevent unfair treatment. They argued that seeing their answer sheets would not break any rules about keeping things private.
The judges stressed that being open and honest in competitive exams is very important. They acknowledged that while there is no specific rule that says re-evaluation must be allowed, courts can step in if there's a chance someone is being treated unfairly.
"A serious unfairness may happen to a writ applicant in certain situations," the court stated.
This ruling is a big move towards being open and honest in exam processes. It highlights the role of the courts in making sure things are fair and that candidates' rights are protected. The decision allows Patil Naresh Dongar, Kartiki Awantika, Shruti Hemant Wade, and Amit Arun Londhe to check their scores and ensures that the grading process is fair and open.
