Jaipur/Ajmer: The Supreme Court Friday modified its earlier order on the Rajasthan Sub-Inspector/Platoon Commander Recruitment Examination 2025, limiting interim relief to petitioner Suraj Mal Meena and 713 overage candidates who had already received admit cards.A special vacation bench of Justices Dipankar Datta and Satish Chandra Sharma said no other similarly placed overage candidates would be allowed to appear in the examination scheduled for April 5 and 6. The clarification came a day after the apex court had refused to postpone the exam but allowed candidates from the 2021 SI recruitment process seeking age relaxation to provisionally appear in the 2025 examination, pending a decision by the Rajasthan High Court. The Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC) then moved the apex court Friday, citing logistical and security concerns. RPSC counsel Yuvraj Samant told the bench that around 7.7 lakh candidates were already set to appear across 41 cities and 1,173 centres, and widening eligibility at the last moment would disrupt the process. Modifying its April 2 order, the apex court said the benefit of appearing in the examination would not extend to all overage candidates. It held that petitioner Suraj Mal Meena would be entitled to appear and permitted about 713 overage candidates who had already approached the high court and been issued admit cards to continue. The bench ordered that the examination schedule would remain unchanged and authorities must conduct the test strictly as notified. The apex court also made clear that candidates who had not approached any court would not get the benefit of the order. Appearing for the Rajasthan govt, Additional Advocate General Shiv Mangal Sharma said more than 2.21 lakh candidates from the 2021 recruitment cycle had not applied for the current examination and allowing them to participate now would create administrative chaos and affect the integrity of the process. The Supreme Court said its order would not affect the rights and arguments of parties before the Rajasthan High Court, where related appeals are pending. It added that if the high court later orders a fresh examination, affected parties would be free to seek remedies in accordance with law. Following the apex court’s modified order, RPSC secretary Ramniwas Mehta said over 7.7 lakh candidates have been issued admit cards, and preparations for the exam have been completed. Mehta added that measures are in place to ensure transparency, including a reward of Rs 1 lakh for information on malpractice. “About 7.7 lakh candidates are appearing in this exam and we have prepared for confidentiality and transparency,” he added.
