Transparency Triumphs: High Court Mandates Marks Disclosure in Public Recruitment

The Bombay High Court ruled that marks obtained by candidates in public recruitment are not private and must be disclosed. This decision promotes transparency in public hiring, addressing concerns raised by petitioner Onkar Kalmankar, who sought candidate scores for a 2018 junior clerk post selection in Pune.

In a significant move to enhance transparency, the Bombay High Court declared that marks obtained by candidates in public recruitment processes are not private information and should be disclosed. This ruling, handed down by a division bench of Justices M S Sonak and Jitendra Jain, emphasizes the importance of openness and accountability in public sector hiring.

The court's decision came in response to a petition by Onkar Kalmankar, who sought details of marks from a 2018 recruitment for junior clerks in the Pune district court. Despite clearing written and typing tests, Kalmankar was not selected, prompting him to challenge the opacity of the selection process.

The bench ordered the authorities to release the requested information within six weeks, underscoring that disclosure aligns with public interest and transparency. Withholding such details, the court noted, only fosters doubts and mistrust in the recruitment system, contrary to the principles of the Right to Information Act.

(With inputs from agencies.)