Now, students can see answer-sheets

Posted On: 10/08/2011 Updated On:

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that students aggrieved with their examination scores — class X and XII, entrance exam for professional courses as well as job recruitment tests — can now take a look at how they were evaluated by moving an application under the Right to Information Act.

So far, only re-tabulation of marks was possible. Now, the court has provided for re-evaluation of answersheets, which will include whether examiner missed out awarding marks for answers to some of the questions.

Passing the path-breaking order that will be lapped up by students, but may cause consternation among the teaching fraternity, a bench of Justices R V Raveendran and A K Patnaik dismissed a bunch of appeals filed by the Central Board of Secondary Education, West Bengal Board of Secondary Education, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), University of Calcutta, West Bengal Central School Services Commission and Assam Public Services Commission.

The petitioners had challenged rulings by different information commissioners under the RTI Act directing them to show the answer-sheets to the students.The basic contention of all these education boards, Calcutta University and ICAI was that there was a fiduciary relationship between the examiner and the board, and hence it was not proper to show the answer-sheet to the student. CBSE had claimed exemption from the ambit of RTI Act.

The classic among the cases dealt by the apex court was that of a Kolkata student Pritam Rooj, who had scored 91.6% in the Class X examination and 80.8% at the higher secondary (Class XII) examination.

But his performance dipped unexpectedly in the mathematics honours course, which he studied in Presidency College under the Calcutta University. In 2005, he got a mere 52% in his Part-I examination and an identical percentage the following year in Part-II, with just 28 out of 100 in the fifth paper. High courts too favoured access to answer-sheet

Rooj applied for re-evaluation of the paper, and was awarded four additional marks by the university. But, that did not give him a first division and ruined his dream of studying in the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore.

On August 14, 2007, Rooj filed an RTI query seeking a copy of his answer-sheet from the university. But, the principal information officer said no inspection of answer-sheet was permitted under the RTI Act.

He moved the Calcutta High Court and got a favourable order. Similar orders had come in from the high courts of Gauhati in Assam and other places. The apex court had joined them together and heard arguments.

More News

CBSE Board Exams 2027: LOC Portal Opens, Check Fee Details & Guidelines

CBSE Board Exams 2027: LOC Portal Opens, Check Fee Details & Guidelines The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has officially opened its online portal for submitting the List of Candidates (LOC) for the upcoming Class 10 and Class 12 bo...

Posted On: 24/09/2026

CA January 2027 Exams: ICAI Announces Foundation, Intermediate Dates

CA January 2027 Exams: ICAI Announces Foundation, Intermediate Dates In September 2026, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) announced the exam timetable for the January 2027 Chartered Accountancy examinations, which include both t...

Posted On: 24/09/2026

NEET PG Answer Key LIVE: Result Date Confirmed for September 30

NEET PG 2026 Answer Key LIVE: Response Sheet Download Link Expected Soon, Result Date Confirmed for September 30 New Delhi: Aspirants who appeared for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test for Postgraduate (NEET PG) 2026 are keenly awaiting the...

Posted On: 23/09/2026

Government Scholarship Rules Revised For 2026–27: Key Changes to National Scholarship Portal (NSP) Framework Announced

Government Scholarship Rules Revised For 2026–27: Key Changes to National Scholarship Portal (NSP) Framework Announced In a major relief for students across the country, the Central Government—following updates echoed by key educational ...

Posted On: 23/09/2026

Railway NTPC Graduate, Undergraduate Notification 2026 Released

Railway NTPC Graduate & Undergraduate Notification 2026 Released: Check Important Dates, Vacancy Breakdown, and Application Details New Delhi: The Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) has officially released the recruitment notification for the Non-T...

Posted On: 22/09/2026

CAT 2026 Registration Closing Today: Check Revised Dates, Application Details

CAT 2026 Registration Closing Today: Check Revised Dates, Application Details NEW DELHI: Aspirants aiming for admission into premier management institutes across India, including the prestigious Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs), must act fast....

Posted On: 22/09/2026

UCEED 2027: Registration Dates, Eligibility, and Steps to Apply

Undergraduate Entrance Examination for Design (UCEED) 2027: Registration Dates, Eligibility, and Steps to Apply New Delhi: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay is gearing up to commence the registration process for the Undergraduate Commo...

Posted On: 21/09/2026

CPRI Registration 2026: Know Eligibility Criteria, Vacancy Details

CPRI Registration 2026: Online Window Opens for 110 Vacancies – Check Eligibility, Posts, and Key Details New Delhi: The Central Power Research Institute (CPRI), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Power, Government of India, has ...

Posted On: 21/09/2026

AIIMS NORCET 11 Result 2026 Out

AIIMS NORCET 11 Result 2026 Out: Highlights, Scorecard, and Direct Steps to Check The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, officially announced the AIIMS NORCET 11 Result 2026 for the Stage 1 Preliminary examination. Candidate...

Posted On: 19/09/2026

AIAPGET Result 2026 Declared: Scorecards, Toppers List, and Counselling Details

AYUSH PG Entrance Test Result 2026 Declared: Scorecards, Toppers List, and Counselling Details New Delhi: The National Testing Agency (NTA) has officially released the results for the All India Ayush Post Graduate Entrance Test (AIAPGET) 2026. Candi...

Posted On: 19/09/2026

View all

Admission Open

ICFAI University (IFHE)

Hyderabad, Telangana

BBA, BCA, L.L.B, LLM, B.Arch, B.Sc, BA, MA, EMBA, BA LLB (Hons.), BBA LLB (Hons.), Ph.D in Law, Ph.D, PG Diploma, Ph.D (Economics), B.E / B.Tech, Ph.D

Apply Brochure

Admission Open

IBS Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Telangana

MBA

Apply Brochure

Admission Open

Presidency University, Bangalore

Bangalore, Karnataka

MBA, BBA, MCA, BCA, LLM, B.Com, B.Sc, BA, Bachelor of Design, BBA LLB (Hons.), B.Com.(Hons.), BA LLB (Hons) Integrated, B.Com LL.B. (Hons) integrated, B.E / B.Tech, M.E / M.Tech

Apply Brochure