Patna High Court
Rohit KumarversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- ALOK KUMAR SINHA
Holding
The writ application is disposed of, granting the petitioners liberty to file representations before the Examination Controller within one week and directing disposal of those representations within four weeks.
Summary
A group of twenty petitioners, all candidates of the Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET-2025), filed a writ petition before the Patna High Court seeking a mandamus directing the Bihar School Examination Board and the Education Department to follow the 01.09.2025 guidelines, issue a revised result for papers 1 and 11, and release the final answer key, alleging that their answers were marked wrong despite being correct per NCERT. The petitioners offered to file fresh representations before the Examination Controller (STET-2025) and requested the court to order the Board to entertain these representations within a fixed time. The respondents, including the State of Bihar and the Board, raised no objection to the petitioners' proposal. The Court, after hearing counsel, disposed of the writ application by granting the petitioners liberty to file their representations within one week and directing the Examination Controller to decide the matter within four weeks, with a reasoned order. No substantive ruling on the merits of the petition was made; the matter was remanded to the administrative authority for adjudication.
Issues considered
- Whether the Bihar School Examination Board erred in not publishing a revised result for STET-2025 papers 1 and 11 as per the Department's guidelines.
- Whether the petitioners are entitled to a writ of mandamus directing the Board to release the final answer key and revise the result.
- Whether the High Court can direct the Examination Controller to entertain fresh representations and decide the matter within a stipulated time.
Subjects
- writ petition
- mandamus
- examination board
- result revision
- STET-2025
- education law
- administrative law
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.2661 of 2026
======================================================
1. Rohit Kumar S/o- Abhay Kumar, R/o-Vill- Dhanwara, P.O.- Lakhmohana,
P.S.- Nem Darganj, District-Nawada, Pin-805121.
2. Nitu kumari, D/o- Shivshankar Ram, R/o- At- Jafarpatti, P.O.- Jafarpatti,
P.S.-Rajapakar, District-Vaishali. Pin-844504.
3. Puja kumari, D/o- Kamakhya Narayan Chaudhary, R/o- At- Dehrionshn
P.O.- Dehrionsun, P.S.-Dehrionsun, District- Rohtas, Pin-821307.
4. Pankaj Kumar, S/o- Chandeshwar Ram, R/o- At- Hatni, P.O.- Hatni, P.S.-
Ghoghardina, District- Madhubani, Pin-847402.
5. Chiranjiv Kumar, S/o- Rajiv Kumar Ranjan, R/o- At- Uda, P.O.- Madhuban,
P.S. Udakishanganj, District- Madhepura, Pin- 852101.
6. Manish kumar, S/o- Ayodhaya Singh, R/o- At- Dhobahi, P.O. Banni, P.S.-
Dhansai, District- Buxar, Pin-802128.
7. Arun kumar, S/o- Rajendra Yadav, R/o-At- Kathauliya, P.O.- Haveli Kharag-
pur, P.S. Haveli Kharagpur, District- Munger, Pin-811213.
8. Gajendra Kumar, S/o- Anand Bihari Yadav, R/o- At- Sundar Birajeet P.O.-
Sundar birajeet, P.S.-Madhepur, District- Madhubani, Pin-847408.
9. Bhushan kumar, S/o- Shree Prasad Yadav, R/o- At- Sundarbirajit, P.O.- Sun-
dar Birajit, P.S.- Madhepur, District- Madhubani, Pin-847408.
10. Rahul Kumar, S/o- Suresh Kumar Singh, R/o- At- Balapur, P.O.- Bar-
wakhuru, P.S.- Ghorasahan, District- East Champaran, Pin-845304.
11. Saleha Khatoon, D/o- Md. Sainul Master, R/o- At- Kurmuri, P.O.- Kurmuri,
P.S.- Sikrahta, District-Bhojpur, Pin-802204.
12. Gaurishankar Kumar, S/o- Jagdish Paswan, R/o- At- Gahai, P.O.- Laukhan,
P.S.- Dhaka, District- East Champaran, Pin-845418.
13. Vikash Kumar, S/o- Shiv Kumar Ram, R/o- Vill- Lohari, P.O.- Gurukul
Mehiya, P.S.- Muffasil, District-Saran, Pin-841301.
14. Reshma Khatoon, D/o- Md. Alimuddin, R/o- Vill- Amjhar, P.O.-Hasanpura,
P.S.- Hasanpura, District-Aurangabad, Pin- 824120.
15. Poonam Kumari, D/o-Ruplal Prasad, R/o- At and P.O.- Khukhari, P.S.- Sar-
bada, District- Gaya, Pin-823311.
16. Abhishek Kumar, S/o- Sri Chandra Kumar Pathak, R/o- Vill- Sadikpur, P.O.
Gulzarbag, P.S.-Aalamganj, District- Patna, Pin-800007.
17. Sumit Kumar, S/o- Mahesh Prasad Singh, R/o- Vill- Yadavchak, P.O.-
Kurthaul, P.S.- Parsa Bazar, District-Patna, Pin-804453.
18. Avinash Kumar Acharya, S/o- Shyama Kant Acharya, R/o- Narayan Patti,
P.O.- Patwara, P.S.- Rajnager, District- Madhubani. Pin- 847235.
19. Manisha Kumari, D/o- Sanjay Kumar Singh, R/o- Vill- Pokharpur, P.O.-
Parsa, P.S.- Parsa, District- Saran, Pin-841219.
20. Awadish Prajapati, S/o- Vinod Prajapati, R/o- At and P.O.- Sumergarh, P.S.
Shyam Deurva, District-Maharajganj, Pin- 273706.
Patna High Court CWJC No.2661 of 2026(2) dt.19-02-2026
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21. Renu Kumari, D/o- Shivnandan Paswan, R/o- Vill- Raghunathpur, P.O.- Gu-
rua, P.S.- Gurua, District-Gaya, Pin-824205.
... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1. The State of Bihar through the Principal Secretary, Education Department,
Government of Bihar, Patna.
2. The Director, Secondary Education, Education Department, Government of
Bihar, Patna.
3. The Chairman, Bihar School Examination Board, Patna.
4. The Secretary, Bihar School Examination Board, Patna.
5. The Examination Controller (STET-2025), Bihar School Examination
Board, Patna.
... ... Respondent/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Satyabir Bharti, Sr. Advocate
Ms. Kanupriya, Advocate
Mr. Abhishek Anand, Advocate
Ms. Aastha Prakash, Advocate
For the Respondent/s : Mr.Government Pleader (07)
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE ALOK KUMAR SINHA
ORAL ORDER
2 19-02-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioners, learned se-
nior counsel for Bihar School Examination Board assisted by
Ms. Tanu Priya and learned counsel appearing on behalf of the
respondent-State.
2. With consent of the parties, the present writ appli-
cation is being disposed of at this stage itself.
3. The petitioners in paragraph No.1 of the writ appli-
cation has prayed for grant of following relief :-
“1 (i) Issuance of a direction, order or writ,
including writ in the nature of mandamus commanding
the concerned respondent authorities under the Educa-
tion Department and Bihar School Examination Board,
Patna High Court CWJC No.2661 of 2026(2) dt.19-02-2026
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Bihar, Patna to follow the guidelines dated 01.09.2025 of
the education department and resolution No. 2374 duted
16.07.2007 of the General Administration Department as
well as paragraph no.7 of the advertisement no. PR
218/2025 and published revised result of the petitioner's
Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET-2025) paper-1
and paper-11.
(ii) Issuance of a direction, order or writ, in-
cluding writ in the nature of mandamus commanding the
concerned respondent authorities under the Education
Department and Bihar School Examination Board, Bi-
har, Patna to published revised result in favor of the peti-
tioners in connection with advertisement no. PR
218/2025 Secondary Teacher Eligibility Test (STET-
2025) paper-1 and paper-11 because the answer marked
by the petitioners are correct as per the preferred book
NCERT publication whereas, the same answer is being
declared wrong by the Bihar School Examination Board
and whose number has not been assigned to the petition-
ers.
(iii) Issuance of a direction, order or writ, in-
cluding writ in the nature of mandamus commanding the
concerned respondent Bihar School Examination Board
and its examination department, to release the revised/fi-
nal answer key from which the petitioners booklet has
been marked.”
4. After advancing some argument, learned counsel
for the petitioners submits that for the aforesaid relief claimed in
the present writ application, the petitioners are prepared to file
fresh representation before the Examination Controller (STET-
2025), Bihar School Examination Board, Patna and submits that
an appropriate direction be issued to Examination Controller
(STET-2025), Bihar School Examination Board, Patna to enter-
tain their applications and dispose of the same after giving an
Patna High Court CWJC No.2661 of 2026(2) dt.19-02-2026
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opportunity of hearing to the petitioners within a fixed time
frame.
5. To the aforesaid submissions made by learned se-
nior counsel appearing for the petitioners, learned senior coun-
sel for Bihar School Examination Boar as well as learned coun-
sel appearing for respondent-State do not have any objection.
6. Considering the limited nature of prayer being
made by learned counsel for the petitioners, this writ application
stands disposed of granting liberty to the petitioners to file rep-
resentation before the Examination Controller (STET-2025), Bi-
har School Examination Board, Patna within one week from the
date of passing of this order and if such representations are filed
by the petitioners, the same shall be disposed of by the Exami-
nation Controller (STET-2025), Bihar School Examination
Board, Patna within a maximum period of four weeks from the
date of filing of the representations after giving an opportunity
of hearing to the petitioners.
7. Needless to emphasize that the final order which
shall be passed by the Examination Controller (STET-2025), Bi-
har School Examination Board, Patna, should be reasoned and
speaking order.
8. With the aforesaid observation/direction and liberty
Patna High Court CWJC No.2661 of 2026(2) dt.19-02-2026
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granted, the present writ application stands disposed of.
9. All pending I.A.s, if any, is deemed to have been
disposed of.
(Alok Kumar Sinha, J)
sanjeev/-
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