Rajasthan high court upholds cancellation of 2021 SI recruitment process

JAIPUR: The Rajasthan high court Saturday upheld the cancellation of the Sub-Inspector (SI) recruitment process of 2021, backing an earlier single-bench ruling that scrapped the entire process over alleged paper leaks, malpractices and large-scale irregularities.

The court observed that selections to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) – the agency in charge of the recruitment – should not be based on political considerations, and asked the state govt to identify those involved in the paper leaks and initiate appropriate action against them.

In its Saturday ruling, a division bench of Acting Chief Justice S P Sharma and Justice Sangeeta Sharma dismissed appeals filed by the state govt and some candidates while upholding the Aug 28, 2025, judgment of Justice Sameer Jain. The bench held that "if the sanctity, transparency and fairness of an examination are compromised, cancellation of the entire process is justified".

The division bench also set aside the suo motu cognisance taken of the functioning of Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) members by the single-judge bench of Justice Jain, saying "such direct action was not appropriate in the present case".

It, however, refused to quash the bench's remarks against RPSC members while dismissing the appeals filed by them.

The court further directed the state govt to establish a new legal framework that would ensure transparent, merit-based appointments in the RPSC.

Saturday's verdict came nearly two-and-a-half months after the bench reserved its judgment in the case on Jan 19. The case had earlier reached the Supreme Court, which on Sept 24 last year ordered status quo, stayed field postings of selected candidates and directed the High Court to conclude its hearing within three months.

In their arguments before the court, senior advocate R P Singh and advocate Harendra Neel highlighted widespread paper leaks surrounding the 2021 SI recruitment process and the involvement of organised criminal gangs in the recruitment process.

"Hopefully, the process of conducting examinations will be thoroughly overhauled now and the working of the RPSC would also be kept under scrutiny," Singh told TOI after the verdict.

Thanking the court for its "bold decision" in the matter, advocate Neel said, "The division bench has not removed the earlier remarks made by the single bench against RPSC members. It has only withdrawn the suo motu cognisance taken of the RPSC's functioning".

The Supreme Court Friday had granted relief to 714 candidates who appeared in the 2021 SI recruitment exam, allowing them to reappear in the 2026 edition of the exam scheduled for April 5 and 6.