Imphal: The High Court of Manipur has upheld the right of candidates who appeared for the Manipur Civil Services Combined Competitive Examination (MCSCCE) 2016 (2016/2022) to inspect their evaluated answer scripts.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice M. Sundar and Justice A. Bimol Singh dismissed an appeal filed by the Manipur Public Service Commission (MPSC) on August 12, 2026, thereby upholding an earlier order of a single judge and directions issued by the Manipur Information Commission (MIC).
The dispute arose after the MIC directed the MPSC in 2023 to allow three RTI applicants to inspect their evaluated answer scripts from the MCSCCE 2016 (2022) Main Examination.
The MPSC had challenged the direction, relying on its policy decisions dated May 4 and October 28, 2020, which restrict the issuance of certified copies of descriptive answer scripts under its examination rules.
However, the single bench, headed by Justice A. Guneshwar Sharma, held that the policies did not prevent candidates from physically inspecting their evaluated scripts. The MPSC subsequently challenged that decision before the division bench.
During the proceedings, the commission argued that allowing access to evaluated answer scripts could compromise examination confidentiality. It also cited Supreme Court judgments, including UPSC v. Angesh Kumar and Prashant Ramesh Chakkarwar v. UPSC, in support of its position.
The applicants, meanwhile, argued that although their original RTI requests sought certified copies of the answer scripts, they were willing to accept inspection of the evaluated papers as an alternative form of relief.
The Manipur Information Commission supported the inspection of answer scripts, maintaining that it offered a way to improve transparency and fairness while protecting the integrity of the examination process.
By dismissing the MPSC’s appeal, the High Court has effectively upheld the candidates’ right to peruse their evaluated answer scripts, while leaving the commission’s restrictions on providing certified copies intact.