The Delhi High Court on Wednesday issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) not to allow persons with disabilities (PwBD/PwD) appearing for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) to use scribes who have previously appeared for the examination at any stage or have worked as UPSC coaches or teachers.

A division bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia sought response of UPSC and Union Ministries of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions as well as Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

Filed by Deepstambh Foundation, an organisation working with persons with disabilities and civil services aspirants, the petition requires that all scribes must furnish an undertaking declaring that they have neither appeared in the Civil Services Examination nor coached civil services candidates, with penal consequences for false declarations.

The plea has been filed through Advocates Rahul Bajaj, Amritesh Mishra, Amar Jain and Sarah.

According to the petition, the present UPSC notification permits a scribe to possess qualifications up to the minimum educational qualification prescribed for the examination.

Since the minimum qualification for the Civil Services Examination is graduation, graduates, including coaching faculty and former UPSC aspirants, are eligible to act as scribes.

The petitioner alleges that this has resulted in the emergence of “conflicted scribes” who possess extensive knowledge of the UPSC syllabus, examination pattern and answer-writing techniques.

It claims that such scribes do not merely transcribe dictated answers but are capable of subtly influencing the content, structure and quality of responses, effectively converting the examination into a collaborative exercise rather than an assessment of the candidate's own merit.

The plea alleges that such misuse is not isolated but widespread, as evidenced by the proliferation of “scribe services” offered informally in UPSC coaching hubs.

“This not only prejudices thousands of non-disabled and PwBD candidates who prepare honestly without such support but also erodes public confidence in the Civil Services as a meritocratic institution. The Petitioner, through its work in Mukherjee Nagar and mentoring Divyang UPSC aspirants, has observed how this loophole discourages genuine talent and perpetuates inequality,” the plea states.

The petition states that Deepstambh Foundation had submitted a representation to the UPSC on April 11 highlighting the alleged loophole and proposing corrective measures. However, it claims that no response was received.

The plea argues that permitting “conflicted scribes” creates inequality among candidates, compromises the fairness of public recruitment and ultimately affects the integrity of the civil services.

Title: DEEPSTAMBH FOUNDATION v. UNION PUBLIC SERVICE COMMISSION AND ORS