IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA
CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION
Public Interest Litigation (PIL) No. _______ of 2023
IN THE MATTER OF:
Anonymous Petitioner
VERSUS
Union Public Service Commission (UPSC)
Dholpur House, Shahjahan Road,
New Delhi - 110069
Respondent
To,
The Hon'ble Chief Justice of India
and His Companion Justices of the Supreme Court of India
The Humble Petition of the Petitioner above-named:
MOST RESPECTFULLY SHOWETH:
1. The petitioner, who chooses to remain anonymous due to concerns of reprisal, raises
issues of public importance concerning the gross violation of the prescribed syllabus
by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in the recently conducted
preliminary examination held on 28th May 2023.
2. The UPSC, as the premier examination conducting body in India, is entrusted with the
responsibility of conducting the civil services examination to select candidates for various
prestigious posts in the government.
3. The syllabus prescribed by the UPSC for the preliminary examination clearly specifies
that subject specialization is not required and that the questions will be of a certain
level of difficulty as indicated in the syllabus.
"Syllabus copy, which explicitly mentions that subject specialization is not required, is
attached herewith as Annexure-A for the perusal of this Hon'ble Court."
4. However, during the recently conducted preliminary examination held on 28th May 2023,
it has come to light that the questions posed required extensive research and subject
specialization, contrary to the prescribed syllabus.
5. Additionally, the questions in the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) were significantly
more challenging than the level specified in the syllabus.
6. This departure from the prescribed syllabus has resulted in a significant disadvantage for
many aspirants who prepared diligently in accordance with the syllabus, only to find
themselves faced with unexpected and excessively difficult questions during the
examination.
7. The UPSC's negligence in adhering to the prescribed syllabus has also led to the
exhaustion of the last attempt for many students, causing irreparable harm to their
aspirations and careers.
8. The aforementioned acts and omissions on the part of the UPSC constitute a violation of
the fundamental rights of aspirants, including the right to equality and equal
opportunity guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution of India.
9. The actions of the UPSC also breach the legitimate expectations of aspirants who
reasonably relied on the syllabus while preparing for the examination.
10. It is noteworthy to mention that, This Hon'ble Court, in numerous cases, has emphasized
the importance of transparency, fairness, and adherence to prescribed rules and
regulations in conducting examinations. In the cases of TMA Pai Foundation v.
State of Karnataka, (2002) 8 SCC 481, and Islamic Academy of Education v. State
of Karnataka, (2003) 6 SCC 697, the Supreme Court emphasized the need for strict
adherence to the prescribed syllabus and ensuring a level playing field for aspirants.
11. The violation of the prescribed syllabus and the resulting prejudice caused to aspirants
warrant the intervention of this Hon'ble Court under Article 32 of the Constitution
of India, as a violation of fundamental rights and a matter of public importance.
12. Moreover the Hon'ble Court, in the case of "Re: Exploitation of Children in
Orphanages, 2019 SCC OnLine SC 1425," considered a matter brought to its attention
through a newspaper report as a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), thereby highlighting the
inclusive and accessible nature of the PIL mechanism. This instance demonstrates the
Court's willingness to address issues of public importance based on information
published in newspapers. The petitioner, therefore, urges this Hon'ble Court to consider
this anonymous petition, which raises concerns regarding the violation of the prescribed
syllabus by the UPSC, with equal importance and in the spirit of ensuring justice and
protecting the rights of the aspirants.
13. The petitioner approaches this Hon'ble Court anonymously due to concerns of reprisal
and requests the Court to accept this petition in the interest of justice and to protect the
rights and interests of aspirants.
PRAYER
In light of the above facts and circumstances, it is most respectfully prayed that this Hon'ble
Court may be pleased to:
1. Issue a Writ of Certiorari or any other appropriate writ, order, or direction,
quashing the recently conducted preliminary examination held on 28th May 2023
by the UPSC due to the violation of the prescribed syllabus and the resulting prejudice
caused to aspirants.
2. Direct the UPSC to reconduct the preliminary examination as per the syllabus
prescribed, ensuring that the questions align with the stated level of difficulty, and
provide a fair opportunity to all aspirants.
3. Pass any other order or grant any other relief that this Hon'ble Court deems fit and just in
the circumstances of the case.
4. Grant any other relief that this Hon'ble Court may deem necessary in the interest of
justice.
5. And for such further orders or reliefs as this Hon'ble Court may deem fit and proper, the
petitioner shall ever pray.
Dated this 31st day of May 2023.
Place: Delhi
Anonymous Petitioner
Annexure A
SYLLABI FOR THE EXAMINATION
PART-A
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION
The Examination shall comprise two compulsory papers of 200 marks each.
Paper I - (200 marks) Duration : Two hours
Current events of national and international importance.
History of India and Indian National Movement.
Indian and World Geography - Physical, Social, Economic Geography of India and the World.
Indian Polity and Governance - Constitution, Political System, Panchayati Raj, Public Policy,
Rights Issues, etc.
Economic and Social Development Sustainable Development, Poverty, Inclusion,
Demographics, Social Sector initiatives, etc.
General issues on Environmental Ecology, Bio-diversity and Climate Change - that do
not require subject specialization.
General Science.
Paper II- (200 marks) Duration: Two hours
Comprehension
Interpersonal skills including communication skills;
Logical reasoning and analytical ability
Decision-making and problem-solving
General mental ability
Basic numeracy (numbers and their relations, orders of magnitude, etc.) (Class X level),
Data interpretation (charts, graphs, tables, data sufficiency etc. - Class X level)
English Language Comprehension skills (Class X level).
Note 1 : Questions relating to English Language Comprehension skills of Class X level (last
item in the Syllabus of PaperII) will be tested through passages from English language only
without providing Hindi translation thereof in the question paper.
Note 2 : The questions will be of multiple choice, objective type.
