SC declines plea for lowering cut off marks for Haryana exam

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday declined to entertain a petition challenging 45% as the qualification marks for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates in the Haryana Judicial Service Examination.

The apex court was of the view that there should be minimum qualification marks for being a judge.

“For selecting a judge, there has to be a minimum qualification. There has to be a benchmark, just because one is a Scheduled Caste, the same cannot be done away with,” a bench comprising chief justice T S Thakur and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud observed.

It did not accept the submission of an NGO, Volunteers for Social Justice, seeking a lower qualification benchmark for SC candidates.

The NGO had challenged the Punjab and Haryana high court

decision to keep 45% as the qualification marks for SC candidates which was also for backward caste candidates.

The high court had dismissed the plea of the NGO.The apex court said instead of the NGO, the aggrieved candidate should approach the court with the grievance.