The Central Information Commission (CIC) today directed the UPSC to declare the individual marks scored by 2,400 candidates who had appeared for the Civil Services Preliminary examinations this year. They had alleged “unfairness” in the selection of successful candidates and had filed RTIs for disclosure of their marks in General Studies and optional subjects. The CIC also directed the UPSC to declare the cut-off marks for each subject within two weeks.

The Commission struck down the UPSC claim that marks constituted its “crucial secrets and intellectual property”. Contrary to the stand taken by the UPSC that it was a “personal matter”, the CIC has held that it is a matter involving “larger public interest”.

The UPSC had refused to divulge the marks and even rejected the appeal on the matter. A full Bench of the CIC thereafter decided on the second appeal.

The CIC has also recommended to the UPSC that it should declare the “scaling system” — the process by which marks are finally assigned to candidates. While conceding to the UPSC’s stand that this scaling system, and thereby the model answers for each paper devised by it, was a part of its Intellectual Property Rights, the Commission has directed UPSC to place the matter before a competent authority within a month. Pulling up UPSC, the CIC in its order said: “A public authority should not be as possessive of its copyright as an ordinary owner who wants to keep his property to its chest.” The CIC adds: “Throwing the process open for public scrutiny might probably result in evolving a system better than what has hitherto been followed by the UPSC.”

Read more..
Courtesy: Indianexpress.com