A moderation committee is empowered to prescribe minimum marks after starting of selection process - as an additional aspect; SC.

Supreme Court of India

Justice Deepak Gupta and Justice L Nageswara Rao

It was held by the SC {JHARKHAND PUBLIC SERVICE  COMMISSION v. MANOJ KUMAR GUPTA AND ANR.} as far as the finding of the High Court that      the rules of the game were changed after the selection process   had started,        was erroneous, that this is not the case as far as the present          case   is   concerned.     There   were   no        minimum   marks provided for Paper III in the advertisement.  It was held by the SC that this could be done by the moderation committee even at a later stage.   This is not a change brought about but an additional aspect brought in while determining the merit of the candidates who are found fit to be eligible for consideration for appointment of Lecturers.

In the present case, the writ petitioner obtained 50% marks in              Papers I and II but he did not do as well in Paper III.  The JPSC fixed           a cut off percentage of 60 for Paper III which the  writ petitioner did not attain and as such he was declared not successful and, therefore, ineligible to be considered for appointment  as lecturer, thereafter,  it was assailed in                  Writ Petition before the HC which came                           to be allowed on the reasoning that  the rules of game cannot be  changed afterwards as there        was no condition at the time of advertisement that the candidate should get 60% in paper III. The said judgment was set aside by the SC.