Transparency Wins: High Court Directs Disclosure of Marks in West Bengal Police Recruitment

In a significant move toward administrative accountability, the Calcutta High Court has directed the state recruitment authorities to increase transparency in the selection process for West Bengal Police Constables. Presided over by Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya, the court ruled that the practice of withholding individual marks and candidate categories during the shortlisting phase is untenable under the current recruitment framework.

The Missing Details

The dispute arose following a recruitment notification dated March 5, 2024. The recruitment authority shortlisted 60,178 candidates for the next stage—Physical Measurement Test (PMT) and Physical Efficiency Test (PET)—following a written examination. However, the published list excluded critical data: the marks obtained by candidates in the written test and their respective social categories (UR, SC, OBC-A, OBC-B).

A group of candidates, including Home Guards who participated in the selection, filed a writ petition (WPA 484 of 2026), arguing that without these particulars, the selection process lacked the transparency required for public employment.

The Tug-of-War Over Fairness

During the hearing, the petitioners emphasized that disclosure of marks was essential to ensure fairness in the selection process. Conversely, the State, represented by the Additional Advocate General, argued that releasing marks before the final viva voce could compromise the "level playing field." The State relied on the Supreme Court’s judgment in Harkirat Singh Ghuman Vs. Punjab and Haryana High Court , suggesting that revealing marks early on might influence interview boards and introduce bias.

Breaking the Stagnation: The Court’s Reasoning

Justice Saugata Bhattacharyya meticulously distinguished the present case from the precedent cited by the State. The Court observed that the Harkirat Singh Ghuman case involved a direct transition from written test to viva voce. In the West Bengal Police recruitment, however, there are two distinct intermediate hurdles: the PMT and the PET.

"If the court accepts the contention... that the list with all particulars shall be published after viva voce, in that event, bona fide candidates may lose the opportunity to participate in PMT and PET which will be over by that time," the Court noted.

The Justice concluded that since the written test results form the basis for eligibility for the physical testing phases, the candidates have a fundamental right to understand their standing within the zone of consideration prior to those tests.

Key Observations

The judgment provides a clear roadmap for transparency in public employment:

• On the necessity of transparency: "Question arises for consideration is whether publication of aforesaid list without indicating marks obtained by the respective candidates in written examination and the categories of the candidates is permissible or not."
• On distinguishing precedent: "In Harkirat Singh Ghuman ... there was no other phase of selection process in between written examination and viva voce but in the present case at my hand in between written test and viva voce there are two other phases namely PMT and PET."
• On the consequence of withholding data: "If candidates do not find place in the list prior to PMT and PET and if they do not come within the zone of consideration based on merit... they will not be permitted to appear in PMT and PET."

The Verdict and Impact

The Calcutta High Court has ordered the respondent authorities to publish a finalized list of candidates selected for the PMT and PET within seven days, clearly indicating the marks awarded in the written examination and the candidates' respective categories.

This decision serves as a firm reminder that while maintaining a "level playing field" for interviews is important, it cannot come at the expense of procedural transparency at intermediate stages of recruitment. For the thousands of aspirants, this judgment ensures that they are no longer left in the dark about their merit-based standing as they head into the physical testing phases.