Holding

The Union of India has taken concrete and satisfactory steps to maintain the secrecy and sanctity of examinations, and therefore the writ petition is disposed.

Summary

Raj Kumar Gupta filed a public interest writ petition under Article 32 alleging that frequent leakage of entrance examination question papers undermined confidence of students and parents. The Union of India and the Central Board of Secondary Education submitted a sealed report detailing security measures taken for various exams, including the All India Pre‑Medical/Pre‑Dental exam, CAT, and IIM admissions. The Supreme Court examined the report and found that concrete steps had been implemented to safeguard the secrecy and sanctity of examinations, such as enhanced printing, transportation, storage, and audit procedures. The Court noted that the CBSE had rescheduled and successfully conducted the affected exam, and that the CAT examination process had been reviewed and tightened. Concluding that the Union had taken satisfactory measures, the Court disposed of the writ petition without granting any relief.

Issues considered

Whether the leakage of entrance examination question papers violates the petitioner's constitutional rights and warrants judicial intervention under Article 32.
Whether the Union of India and the concerned educational bodies have taken adequate steps to ensure the secrecy and sanctity of examinations.
Whether the writ petition is maintainable in the absence of evidence of ongoing negligence.

Subjects

entrance examinationsquestion paper leakagepublic interest litigationArticle 32educationsecurity measuresCBSEIIMCATsanctity of examinations

Judgment

RAJ KUMAR GUPTA A
-1
v.
UNION OF INDIA AND ORS.

JANUARY 17, 2007

[DR. AR. LAKSHMANAN AND V.S. SIRPURI<.AR, JJ.] B

...-r Education/Educational Institutions Entrance examinations-
Leakage of question papers-Causing harassment to parents and students-
Writ petition-Report submitted by Union of India-Held : Union of India
having taken concrete steps to maintain secrecy and sanctity of the c
examinations, writ petition disposed of-Public Interest Litigation.

Frequent leakage of question papers shook confidence of honest
students and their parents on the system and caused them great harassment
' and depression. Petitioner filed public interest litigation. Union of India
filed counter affidavit through its Secretary, Central Board of Secondary
D
j. Education and respondent No. 2 through its Under Secretary, Department
r of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of Human Development.
Union of India filed a report in sealed cover regarding the security
measures taken by the Combined Admission Test Group of various IIMs.
E
Disposing of the writ petition, the Court

HELD: 1. On perusal ofreport it is found that the Union oflndia has
taken concrete steps in order to maintain the secrecy and sanctity of the
examinations. lo view of the leakage of All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental
Entrance Examination, 2004 question paper, Central Board of Secondary
F
r Education reviewed and scrutinized its system to prevent re-occurrence of
such incidence and introduced additional measures of security. Entrance
exam was rescheduled and conducted successfully. Respondent No. 2 stated
that CAT, 2003 was alleged to have been tainted by alleged leakage of the
question paper, Examination was cancelled and the entire procedure for the G
CAT was reviewed. Several stringent measures were taken in respect of
security of the printing process, security for booklets, test construction
security, on-site security, review of administrative procedures for test
- _._
administration, deployment of faculty and oversight staff, transportation
security, secure internal communication systems, storage of question papers H
1085
y

1086 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 1 S.C.R

A and answer sheets and security audit in a manner so as to ensure the sanctity
of the examination process while at the same time not inconveniencing the
student community. Since adequate and satisfactory steps have already been
taken for securing the sanctity of the admission process and by recording
the confidential report submitted by Union oflndia, it is hoped thatthe steps
taken by Union oflndia continued to be implemented strictly in letter and
B spirit. [Paras 5 and 6] [1087-D-F, 1088-A-B]

CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION : Writ Petition (Civil) No. 223 of2004

UNDER ARTICLE 32 OF THE CONSTITUTION OF INDIA
c S.S. Tiwari, Mukul Dubey, Amit Mehra, Shashank Anand and Mridula
Ray Bharadwaj for the Petitioner.

Tara Chandra Shanna, Neelam Shanna, Lakshmi Raman Singh and
P.Parmeswaran for the Respondents.
D
Gopal Subramanium, A.S.G., T. Srinivasa Murthy and Sushma Suri for
U.O.I.

The Judgment of the Court was delivered by

E DR.AR.LAKSHMANAN,J.: l.HeardMr. S.S. Tiwari,leamedcounsel
for the petitioner and Mr. Gopal Subramanium, learned Additional Solicitor
General for the respondents.The above writ petition was filed by way of
Public Interest Litigation by one Raj Kumar Gupta. The petitioner of this writ
petition wants to raise the issue of leakage of question papers of various
F exams. and that the frequent leakage of question papers has shaken the
confidence of honest students and their parents on the system and has
caused great harassment and depression on them.

2. This Court upon hearing the counsel issued notice to the Union of
India and others. The Union of India has also filed their counter affidavit
G through its Secretary, Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi.
Respondent No.2 has also filed its counter affidavit, through its Under
Secretary, Department of Secondary and Higher Education, Ministry of
Human Resource Development, New Delhi.

H 3. When the matter was listed on 20.11.2006, we directed the Union of
'1
RAJ KUMAR GUPTA v. U.O.l. [LAKSHMANAN, J.] 1087

-~ 1 India to file an affidavit along with annexures in the sealed cover. On A
11.12.2006, the Union of India placed before us a report in sealed cover in
regard to the security measures taken by the Combined Admission Test
Group of various IIMs in the matter of securing the question papers from
the time that they are set, to the time that they are finally evaluated and the
results declared including security measures in regard to transportation and
storage of question papers. The Registrar General was directed to keep the B
same in a sealed cover in safe custody and place the same before the Court
~
- ) when it was required.

4. On 08.01.2007, we directed the Registry to circulate the Report in
closed envelope to both of us. Accordingly, the Report was circulated to c
both of us.

5. We have carefully perused the Report and we return the same to Mr.
Gopal Subramanium, learned ASG. We are satisfied that the Union of India
has taken concrete steps in order to maintain the secrecy and sanctity of
the examinations. The steps taken by the Central Board of Secondary
D
). Education have also· been explained in detail. It is also stated that in view
)
of the leakage of All India Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance Examination,
2004 question paper, the Central Board of Secondary Education has reviewed
and scrutinized its system to prevent re-occurrence of such incidents and
additional measures of security have been introduced during paper setting, E
printing of question paper, mode of transport of question paper to the
examination centers and also the preparation of examination results. It is also
submitted in the counter affidavit that the CBSE rescheduled the All India
Pre-Medical/Pre-Dental Entrance (Preliminary) Examination, 2004 within a
week's time and conducted it successfully on 17.04.2004. F
~
(
1 6. We have perused the counter affidavit filed by respondent No.2. It
is stated therein that the CAT, 2003 which has held on November 23, 2003
was alleged to have been tainted by alleged leakage of the question paper.
,, The said examination was, therefore, cancelled. On February I, 2004, a
meeting of the CAT group was held and the entire procedure for the CAT G
was reviewed. It is also further explained in regard to the several stringent
measures in respect of security of the printing process, security for booklets,
test construction security, on-site security, review of administrative procedures
. "'-
for test administration, deployment of faculty and oversight staff,
r
transportation security, secure internal communication systems, storage of H
y
1088 SUPREME COURT REPORTS [2007] 1 S.C.R.

A question papers and answer sheets and security audit in a manner so as to
ensure the sanctity of the examination process while at the same time not
inconveniencing the student community. Since adequate and satisfactory
steps have already been taken for securing the sanctity of the admission
process and by recording th'.! confidential report submitted by the Union of
India, we express our sincere hope that the steps taken by the Union of India
B continued to be implemented strictly in letter and spirit.

The writ petition stands disposed of accordingly. No costs.

N.J. Writ petition disposed of

'·