Rajasthan High Court Cancels 2021 Police Recruitment Exam Over Paper Leak
In a major blow to the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), the Rajasthan High Court on Thursday cancelled the 2021 police sub-inspector recruitment examination after finding large-scale irregularities and a paper leak scam.
Justice Sameer Jain, while pronouncing the order, said the exam process was marred by “illegality and fraud on the system.” The court also criticised the state government for not taking action despite clear evidence of malpractice.
Senior advocate Major R.P. Singh, appearing for the petitioners, welcomed the decision, saying it would serve as a deterrent against gangs that exploit recruitment exams. He also pointed out that the state’s failure to act earlier had endangered the future of many candidates.
The exam had long been a political flashpoint. Both the former Congress government and the current BJP-led government were accused of mishandling the issue. Even during the 2023 assembly elections, when pressure mounted, the BJP government decided not to cancel the exam.
The single-judge bench has now referred the case to a division bench to probe the role of RPSC members, who are suspected of involvement in the scam. The court underlined the need for accountability and transparency to restore public trust in the recruitment process.
The RPSC had advertised 859 posts of sub-inspector and platoon commander in 2021. But soon after the exam, reports of a paper leak surfaced, prompting the government to hand over the investigation to the Special Operations Group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police.
The SOG probe led to the arrest of over 50 trainee sub-inspectors and several others allegedly linked to the scam. Despite this, a state cabinet sub-committee earlier recommended that the exam should not be cancelled—an opinion now struck down by the High Court.
The cancellation will affect hundreds of aspirants who had cleared the recruitment process. The division bench will now examine RPSC’s functioning and decide on its alleged complicity in the scam.
