Rajasthan high court upholds cancellation of 2021 SI recruitment exam

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

A division bench led by Acting Chief Justice SP Sharma dismissed appeals filed by the state govt and selected candidates, and upheld the August 28, 2025 judgment of Justice Sameer Jain. The bench reiterated that “if the sanctity, transparency, and fairness of an examination are compromised, cancellation of the entire process is justified”.

In partial relief, however, the division bench set aside the suo motu cognisance taken by the single bench against Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) members, saying “such direct action was not appropriate in the present case”. However, it refused to quash the single bench’s remarks against RPSC members and dismissed the appeals filed by them.

The court also directed the state govt to bring a new legal framework to ensure transparent, merit-based appointments in the RPSC, stressing that political appointments should have no place in the commission. It asked the govt to initiate action against members who had faced adverse remarks earlier.

The verdict came nearly two and a half months after the bench reserved its judgment on Jan 19, 2026. The case had earlier reached the Supreme Court, which on Sept 24, 2025 ordered status quo, stayed field postings of selected candidates, and directed the high court to conclude the hearing within three months.

Counsel for petitioner Kailash Chandra Sharma, Harendra Neel, called it a “bold decision”. “The division bench has not removed the remarks made by the single bench against the RPSC members, however suo motu cognizance against the functioning of RPSC has been withdrawn by the bench,” he said.

On Friday, the Supreme Court granted relief to 714 candidates from the 2021 SI recruitment exam, allowing them to re-appear in the SI Recruitment Exam-2026 scheduled for April 5 and April 6.