The court upheld the recruitment process's validity, asserting that low qualification rates alone do not imply arbitrariness, and candidates cannot challenge post-failure under doctrines of acquiescence and estoppel.

JUDGMENT :

Sameer Jain, J.

1. In the present batch of writ petitions, the scope of the controversy involved, albeit not limited to but is broadly and predominantly defined by the challenge raised regarding the arbitrariness inflicted upon the petitioners in checking the copies of Mains examination for recruitment on the post of Assistant Prosecution Officer in pursuance of advertisement dated 07.03.2024. Consequently, considering the fact that the writ petitions warrant adjudication on common questions of law and fact; with the consent of learned counsel appearing on behalf of all the parties, S.B. Civil Writ Petition No. 19981/2025 titled as Srishti Singhal and Ors. vs. State of Rajasthan and Ors, is being taken up as the lead case. It is cautiously clarified that any discrepancies in the present batch of writ petitions, pertain purely to the factual narratives contained therein and not vis-à-vis the questions of law to be determined by this Court; the instant judgment shall be applicable on all the petitions connected herein/henceforth (inclusive on the petitions enumerated in the Schedule endorsed herein) on mutatis mutandis basis.

2. The lead petition is filed with the following prayers:

"(i) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction, particularly a writ in the nature of Certiorari, quashing and setting aside the impugned result dated 10.12.2025 declared by the respondent-Rajasthan Public Service Commission, Ajmer for the Main Examination of Assistant Prosecution Officer (Home Department- Prosecution) pursuant to Advertisement No. 19/ijh{kk /A.P.O./Prosecution Deptt./ EP-I/2023-24, to the extent it declares only four candidates qualified;

(ii) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction, particularly a writ in the nature of Certiorari, quashing and setting aside the evaluation process adopted by the respondent- Rajasthan Public Service Commission, Ajmer for the Main Examination of Assistant Prosecution Officer (Home Department- Prosecution) pursuant to Advertisement No. 19/ ijh{kk/ A.P.O./ Prosecution Deptt./ EP-I/2023-24, and the same be declared faulty, arbitrary, illegal and accordingly same be ordered to be set right (iii) Issue an appropriate writ, order or direction in the nature of Mandamus, directing the respondents to undertake a fresh, fair and transparent evaluation of the answer scripts of the Main Examination of Assistant Prosecution Officer, by bring the same on record and adopting a rational moderation/normalization mechanism and by rectifying errors, if any, in model answers or evaluation standards;

(iv) Any other appropriate writ, order, or direction which this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper be passed in favour of the petitioner.

(v) Costs of the writ petition may kindly be awarded in favour of the petitioner."

SUBMISSIONS BY LEARNED COUNSEL REPRESENTING THE PETITIONERS:

3. At the outset, it was cautiously clarified that the present writ petitions have been jointly filed by the petitioners, who are similarly situated persons and are aggrieved by the same impugned action/order, giving rise to common cause of action and involving identical and substantial questions of law and facts, and that the filing of the present joint petitions is in consonance with the Rajasthan High Court Rules, 1952, which permit joinder of parties and joint proceedings where he cause of action and reliefs are common.

4. It was further contended that the present batch of writ petitions has been filed assailing the result dated 10.12.2025 declared by the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) i