Using Whitener, Eraser In OMR Sheet Will Amount To Disqualification Of Candidate: Patna HC [Read Judgment]

The Patna High Court on Friday dismissed a writ petition challenging the invalidation of OMR answer sheets on the account of use of whitener on them in the Bihar Elementary Teachers Eligibility Test, 2017. The Petitioners, candidates who had appeared in the test, have alleged herein that: the result of the eligibility test was declared without addressing the objections raised by them on the revised answer key; the Board had reduced the maximum marks in the examination by excluding the marks in relation to the 4 wrong questions and answers in violation of Clause-6 & 7 of the guidelines issued by the National Council for Teacher Education. Refuting the aforementioned allegations, the Board submitted that: the result was declared by them in light of the report of the subject experts and further, the Petitioners had furnished no proof that any such objections were raised after the issuance of a revised answer key; the Petitioners had themselves prayed for lowering down the qualifying marks, which had already been granted by the Board inasmuch as a consequence of lowering down the full marks, the qualifying marks automatically gets lowered. the use of whitener in the exam was prohibited by virtue of the Findings The court found merit in the arguments raised by the Respondent and w.r.t the first issue it was held that the Petitioners had failed to prove that they had filed fresh objections against the revised model answer key and on this ground alone, the writ petition was fit to be dismissed. "…inasmuch as non-submission of such objections clearly depict that the writ petitioners had no grievances against the revised model answer key", the court said.