Chhattisgarh High Court Seeks CGPSC Reply for Shortlisting Only 608 for 265 Posts
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The High Court of Chhattisgarh has sought an explanation from the Chhattisgarh Public Service Commission (CGPSC) regarding alleged procedural violations in candidate shortlisting for the State Services Examination-2025. Hearing a writ petition moved by candidate Nikhilesh Soni, a single-judge bench presided over by Justice Bibhu Dutta Guru granted the recruitment commission five days to submit an explanatory affidavit clarifying why the standard candidate ratio was bypassed. The judicial intervention comes in the wake of the commission abruptly postponing the viva-voce rounds on September 16—which were originally slated to take place between September 20 and October 1—leaving hundreds of civil service aspirants waiting for revised schedules as the court set the next hearing for September 28.
The 1:3 Ratio Norm: Why 795 Candidates Were Expected for 265 Vacancies
Appearing on behalf of the petitioner, legal counsel placed strong reliance on Rule 3(2) of the State Services Examination Rules, emphasizing that the statutory framework strictly requires the commission to invite candidates for interview in a 1:3 ratio relative to the total number of advertised vacancies. Under this established recruitment formula, an aggregate of 265 advertised administrative posts demanded that approximately 795 qualified candidates be called for the interview round to ensure competitive merit selection. However, the commission shortlisted only 608 candidates, arbitrarily trimming down the interview pool and depriving eligible aspirants who completed the mains written examination of their rightful opportunity to compete.
Minimum Qualifying Cut-Off vs. Statutory Rules: High Court Fixes Next Hearing for September 28
Defending the commission's shortlisting tabulation, counsel representing the CGPSC cited Clause 4 of the official examination notification guidelines, arguing that the selection list had to adhere to mandatory threshold percentages. The commission's lawyer submitted that the advertisement explicitly fixed the minimum qualifying cut-off at 33 percent for unreserved categories and 23 percent for reserved categories, arguing that candidate availability was governed by these baseline benchmarks. With Justice Bibhu Dutta Guru demanding an itemized affidavit within five working days, the forthcoming September 28 hearing will decide whether the CGPSC must reconstitute its interview roster to meet statutory ratios before notifying fresh viva-voce dates.
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