Supreme Court allows UPSC answer key petitions, directs HCs for redressal amid Commission's policy shift

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed a bunch of petitions challenging the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC) opaque policy on releasing Civil Services Preliminary Examination answer keys, following the Commission's recent affidavit agreeing to publish provisional keys immediately after the prelims. The order, which was delivered by a Bench comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and A.S. Chandurkar paves the way for enhanced transparency in future exams while granting petitioners liberty to seek redressal for past grievances through High Courts. This recommendation was instrumental in prompting the UPSC to concede to the demand in its counter affidavit filed in the lead case of Himanshu Kumar & Ors. v. Union of India, where the Commission outlined a new framework: provisional keys for objections right after the prelims, with final keys following the overall results. Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, along with Advocates Rajiv Kumar Dubey, Rajesh G. Inamdar, and Shashwat Anand, representing groups of petitioners from the CSE (Civil Services Examination) 2024 and CSE 2025 preliminary cycles, urged the Bench to address their unresolved grievances, including retrospective remedies like re-evaluation or objection windows for candidates who appeared under the old policy. While allowing all the bundled petitions, the Supreme Court directed that petitioners approach the jurisdictional High Courts for any remaining redressal, with instructions for the High Courts to hear and decide such matters expeditiously. This ruling builds on earlier proceedings, including the August 11 petition by 28 CSE 2025 aspirants represented by Senior Advocate Devadatt Kamat, Advocates Rajesh G. Inamdar, and Shashwat Anand, which was clubbed with the Himanshu Kumar case on August 12. This matter, concerning CSE 2024, was last heard on July 29 before being adjourned. The Tuesday's order effectively endorses the UPSC's policy shift for upcoming cycles, potentially reshaping the fairness of India's premier civil services recruitment process. UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar, who had previously affirmed the Commission's commitment to court directives in a live session, is expected to oversee the implementation of the new answer key protocol. Aspirants and legal experts hailed the verdict as a victory for transparency, though the deferral to High Courts leaves open questions on immediate relief for over 10 lakh candidates from the 2024 and 2025 prelims. With CSE 2025 Mains results still pending, the High Courts' swift action could determine the next steps for affected examinees. The Court recorded its appreciation for Amicus Curiae Senior Advocate Jaideep Gupta and Advocate-on-Record (AOR) Pranjal Kishore for their comprehensive note recommending the immediate release of answer keys post-prelims.