The court emphasized the need for concluding the selection process within a reasonable time and in a fair manner, and highlighted the importance of maintaining the secrecy of the selection process for professional courses.

Per Muzaffar Hussain Attar, J.

1. Common Entrance Test (for short CET), conducted by J&K Board of Professional Entrance Examination (for short BOPEE), almost every year, in its wake, brings wave of litigation to the Court. Different type of grievances are projected by the candidates. However, one of the most common feature of grievances, every year, is providing of wrong answer keys to the multiple choice questions.

2. The BOPEE conducted two day CET on 22-23rd of June, 2013 in pursuance of its Notification No. 10-BOPE of 2013 dated 10-06-2013 for selecting the meritorious candidates for undergoing MBBS/BDS courses in various colleges of the State of J&K. This CET, however, was cancelled by the BOPEE, who issued a public notice dated 03-07-2013 and informed all the candidates that fresh CET will be conducted on 27-28th July, 2013. The candidates were also informed that they shall have to take the CET in all the four papers. The BOPEE, after conducting the CET on 27th and 28th of July, 2013, issued notification whereunder all the candidates, who had taken the CET of 2013, were informed that the answer keys in respect of question papers of Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Mathematics are available on its official Web Site. The candidates were also informed that in case of any discrepancy in any question or answer key, they can make a representation to the BOPEE at its offices at Srinagar/Jammu. The representation was to be made within two days, viz. upto 30-07-2013 upto 04.00 PM. The candidates were also informed that in support of their representations, they should also enclose copies of relevant references from standard text books.

3. The respondent -- writ petitioner, sought consideration for being selected to undergo MBBS/BDS course under Roll No. 629049. On the pleadings of the parties, it is admitted that the respondent -- writ petitioner appeared in all the three papers of Physics, Chemistry and Biology.

4. The case set up by the respondent -- writ petitioner in the writ petition is that on examination of the answer keys of the BOPEE, to her mind, at least 11 answer keys were wrong. It is her further case that she filed representation for re-evaluation of her answer scripts indicating therein the prescribed wrong answer keys by the experts of BOPEE. Further case of the respondent-writ petitioner is that when her representation did not evoke any response, she filed yet another representation. Copy of the second representation, which does not bear any date, has been annexed with the writ petition as annexure (E), to which reference is made in paragraph (8) of the writ petition. Further grievance of the respondent -- writ petitioner in the writ petition is that without according consideration to her representations, Notification dated 05-08-2013 was issued by BOPEE, which contained the names of candidates, who were short listed for counseling. The respondent -- writ petitioner had secured 168 marks and her ECB rank was 00411. In view of her merit position, she was not called for counseling, which constrained her to approach the Court by filing OWP 1266/2013. The respondent-writ petitioner prayed for issuance of writ of mandamus or any other appropriate order or direction directing the respondents-Appellants herein to get the answers given by the respondent-writ petitioner to question Nos. 16, 28, 31, 41, 44, 60 and 70 of Biology, Series-C and question Nos. 32 and 64 of Chemistry, Series-C, re-evaluated in the light of her representations and thereafter upgrade her merit position and admit her to MBBS course in Government Medical College, Srinagar.

5. In the objections filed by the Appellants to the writ petition, it is pleaded that after completion of CET, 2013 on 28-07-2013, answer keys of each question paper were displayed on the official Web Site of the BOPEE in the same evening. The candidates were given two days' time for filing representations, if any, in respect of the displayed answer keys. A specific stand is taken by the

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