2 correct answers: HC wants marks of SI exam reworked

2 correct answers: HC wants marks of SI exam reworked

K.Kaushik@timesgroup.com

Madurai: 24.12.2020

After the RBI informed Madras high court on Wednesday that Indian currency has been devalued three times with the third having two steps, Madras high court held both the answers “three and four times” to the concerned question in the 2019 TNUSRB written examination for selection of sub-inspectors of police are correct.

A division bench of Justice N Kirubakaran and Justice B Pugalendhi passed the order while hearing an appeal challenging the order of the single judge who by an order dated August 26 had held that the Indian currency was devalued three times. The question was, “Indian rupee was devalued __ times since 1947?”, and the options given were ‘(A) 3 (B) 4 (C) 2 (D) 1. In the preliminary answer key published by the Board, ‘A - three times’ was declared as the correct answer, but in the final answer key itwaschanged to ‘B - four times’.

The state submitted the expertshad arrived atthecorrect answer as “four times” taking into accountthedemonetization doneby thecentral government in 2016. The single judge had observed there is a huge difference between ‘devaluation’ and ‘demonetisation’. Following the single judge’s order, two students who had written “three times” as answer moved HC Madurai bench seeking to award them 0.5 marks for the correct answer. The state government subsequently deducted 0.5 marks from those who marked ‘B - 4 times’. A few aggrieved candidates filed an appeal challenging the single judge’s order.

After the court impleaded the finance ministry and RBI in the matter, the RBI submittedon WednesdaythatIndian currencies were devalued on September 22, 1949, June 6, 1966 and the third instance in two steps, on July 1, 1991 and July 3,1991.

The court observed since the third instance involved two steps it should also be construed as four times.