Patna High Court
Riya SinghversusThe State of Bihar
- Decided
- Disposal
- DISPOSED
- Bench
- AJIT KUMAR
Holding
The Court ordered the petitioner to make a representation to the Board for correction of the gender entry, after which the Board should verify and, if justified, amend the result accordingly.
Summary
The petitioner, Riya Singh, filed a writ petition alleging that a clerical error in her online application for the State Teacher Eligibility Test 2025 caused her gender to be recorded as male instead of female, resulting in her being placed in the BC‑Male category where she failed to meet the higher pass mark. She contended that had her gender been correctly recorded as female, she would have qualified under the BC‑Female category with a lower pass mark. The respondents, representing the Bihar School Examination Board, argued that the error could have been corrected before the result declaration and that the petition was filed only after the results were announced. The Court held that the mistake was a record error warranting correction and directed the petitioner to file a representation before the Board within a week, after which the Board should verify the claim and, if justified, correct the gender entry and recompute the result. Consequently, the writ application was disposed of pending the Board’s action.
Issues considered
- Whether a court can direct correction of a gender entry error in an examination application after the result has been declared.
- Whether such correction can affect the candidate's eligibility and result under reservation categories.
- Whether the petitioner is entitled to relief under writ jurisdiction for an administrative error.
Subjects
- gender correction
- online application error
- State Teacher Eligibility Test
- reservation category
- BC female
- administrative law
- writ jurisdiction
- right to education
Judgment
IN THE HIGH COURT OF JUDICATURE AT PATNA
Civil Writ Jurisdiction Case No.4891 of 2026
======================================================
Riya Singh Daughter of- Pranay Kumar Singh, Resident of- Ghoshpara Purnia
East, P.S.- Sadar, District- Purnia. ... ... Petitioner/s
Versus
1. The State of Bihar through Additional Chief Secretary, Education
Department Bihar Patna
2. The Additional Chief Secretary, Education Department, Bihar, Patna.
3. The Director, Secondary Education, Bihar, Patna.
4. The District Education Officer, Purnea, Bihar.
5. The Secretary, Bihar School Examination Board, Patna.
6. The Controller of Examination, Bihar School Examination Board, Patna.
... ... Respondent/s
======================================================
Appearance :
For the Petitioner/s : Mr. Rohan Kumar
For the Respondent/s : Mr. Prashant Pratap, GP-2
Ms. Surya Nilamabari
======================================================
CORAM: HONOURABLE MR. JUSTICE AJIT KUMAR
ORAL ORDER
2 07-04-2026 Heard learned counsel for the petitioner and
learned counsel for the respondents.
2. The instant writ application has been filed on the
following reliefs:-
(i) For directing the respondents for correction in
gender column in application form of the petitioner
for State Teacher Eligibility Test 2025 (STET)
conducted by the Bihar School Examination Board
(BSEB), Patna, in which the petitioner has
inadvertently wrongly mentioned her gender as
Male instead of Female. The mistake on the part of
the petitioner is a bonafide mistake and due to this
her category has changed and she has been
declared unsuccessful by the Bihar School
Examination Board.
(ii) For directing the respondents to declare the
STET-2025, Paper-I (English) result of the
petitioner in appropriate category of BC female
instead of BC Male after correcting her gender and
declaring her successful in STET-2025, paper-I
Patna High Court CWJC No.4891 of 2026(2) dt.07-04-2026
2/3
(English). The pass marks for BC Male is 68, while
for BC Female is 60 and the petitioner has got
66.0416 marks in STET- 2025 paper-I (English)
examination and due to wrong category of gender,
she has been declared unsuccessful.
(iii) For any other relief for which the petitioner is
entitled for in the facts and circumstances of the
case.
3. Learned counsel for the petitioner submits that the
petitioner had applied for the STET 2025 examination
conducted by the BSEB through online mode, bearing
Registration/Application No. BS25289209. It is the case of the
petitioner that, due to an inadvertent mistake while filling up the
online application form, the petitioner mentioned “Male”
instead of “Female” in the gender category. Accordingly, the
admit card issued to the petitioner reflects the gender as “Male.”
It is further submitted that the petitioner belongs to the BC (F)
category and, on account of the incorrect gender entry, her
candidature was not considered under the BC (F) category. It is
submitted that if the petitioner’s candidature is considered under
the BC (F) category, the marks obtained by her would make her
successful. However, on the basis of the gender recorded in the
official record, her candidature has been treated under the
“Male” category, and thus she has not been declared successful.
4. On the other hand, Ms. Surya Nilambari, learned
Patna High Court CWJC No.4891 of 2026(2) dt.07-04-2026
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counsel for the Bihar School Examination Board, submits that if
appropriate steps for correction of gender could have been taken
prior to the declaration of the result, the situation of the kind
would not have arisen. It appears that only after the declaration
of the result, the petitioner has taken steps for such correction.
5. Considering the submissions of the parties, this
Court finds that the error appears to be a mistake in the record,
which requires correction.
6. Accordingly, the petitioner is directed to make a
representation before the Secretary, Bihar School Examination
Board, within a period of one week from today. Upon filing of
such representation along with appropriate documents, it is
expected that the authorized officer shall examine the veracity
of the claim of the petitioner and, if found to be justified,
necessary correction shall be made. Thereafter, her candidature
shall be considered under the appropriate category and a
modified result shall be declared accordingly.
7. With the aforesaid observations and directions, the
instant writ application stands disposed of.
(Ajit Kumar, J)
shikha/-
U
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