System of public exams needs careful scrutiny and review: SC

The Supreme Court today suggested careful scrutiny and review of the system of holding public examination while expressing anguish that a teachers' recruitment exam in Uttar Pradesh had not attained finality even after passage of over eight years.
The top court observed this and expressed pain that the examination for recruitment of trained graduate teachers (TGT) in Uttar Pradesh, which was advertised in January 2009, had not attained finality till now.
A bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta termed the sequence of events in the matter as a "mess" and directed the UP Secondary Education Services Selection Board to declare within two weeks the results prepared by it, consequent to the Allahabad High Court's November 2015 order in the case.

"We are pained that an examination for recruitment of Trained Graduate Teachers advertised in January, 2009 has still not attained finality even after the passage of more than eight years," the court said.
"The system of holding public examinations needs to be carefully scrutinised and reviewed so that selected candidates are not drawn into litigation which could go on for several years," the bench said.
The bench expressed its "deep anguish" at the turn of events where a single judge bench of the high court had entertained a batch of pleas in the case, despite the fact that similar petitions were earlier dismissed by other single judges of the court.

"Respect for the view taken by a coordinate bench is an essential element of judicial discipline. A judge might have a difference of opinion with another judge, but that does not give him or her any right to ignore the contrary view. In the event of a difference of opinion, the procedure sanctified by time must be adhered to so that there is demonstrated respect for the rule of law," the bench said.

The court directed that candidates appointed and working as trained graduate teachers pursuant to the declaration of results on the earlier occasions, if found unsuccessful on the third declaration of results, should not be removed from service but should be allowed to continue.

"Candidates now selected for appointment as trained graduate reachers (after the third declaration of results) should be appointed by the state by creating supernumerary posts. However, these newly appointed trained graduate teachers will not be entitled to any consequential benefits," the court said in its judgement.
The court also noted that over 36,000 candidates had appeared in the written examination.
The bench said it was "rather unfortunate" that despite several decisions of the apex court, there was interference by the courts in the result of examinations.
"This places the examination authorities in an unenviable position where they are under scrutiny and not the candidates. Additionally, a massive and sometimes prolonged examination exercise concludes with an air of uncertainty," it said.