In Brief
The Goa Public Service Commission conducted recruitment for Junior Scale Officer posts and fixed a minimum cut-off mark of 26 out of 40 (60%) for the oral interview. Three candidates who had cleared the written examination but scored below this cut-off in the interview challenged the Commission's action. The Supreme Court held that the statutory Goa Civil Service Rules, 2016, prescribe a minimum only for the written examination (65%) but are silent on interview minima. The Commission cannot impose an additional minimum for the interview beyond what the rules authorize. The merit list must be prepared on aggregate marks of both written examination and interview. The Court dismissed the Commission's appeal and directed it to recommend the candidates in accordance with the statutory rules within four weeks.
The lawyer headnote and full judgment text are available to registered users.