Publishing Exam Answer Scripts Would Intrude Into Candidates' Privacy: MP High Court Rejects PIL Seeking "Transparency" In Civil Judge Selection Process

The Madhya Pradesh High Court recently dismissed a petition filed in the form of a Public Interest Litigation seeking directions to make available answer scripts of all the candidates who appeared for the Mains written examination of the lower judiciary exam in the State. Bansal observed that making the answer sheets of a candidate available in public domain would violate their right to privacy and would also be against public interest- Free access to information in public domain is ostensibly an attractive proposition but is not viable in view of the aforesaid complications. The disclosure of contents of an answer sheet of a candidate in public domain will invite number of complications which include intrusion into the privacy of the candidate concerned, the examining body being compelled to indulge in innumerable applications thereby opening pandora's box which may be difficult to control and manage, etc. That answer copy contains information personal to the candidate which cannot be disclosed without consent of the candidate concerned or the public interest outweighs the personal interest, which is not the case herein.