In Brief
Unsuccessful candidates in the 2010 Civil Services Preliminary Examination sought disclosure of their marks and evaluation details under the Right to Information Act. The High Court ordered UPSC to provide this information. The Supreme Court set aside this order, holding that disclosure of raw marks in civil service exams cannot be mechanically mandated. The Court balanced competing interests: while transparency is important, revealing intermediate evaluation stages, raw marks, and examiner identities could undermine the integrity of the examination system, discourage quality examiners, and lead to litigation. The Court confirmed that disclosure requires weighing public interest against concerns for confidentiality and efficient administration, not merely applying exemption sections mechanically.
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