Delhi High Court (Anil Kshetarpal & Amit Mahajan, JJ.; judgment authored by Amit Mahajan, J., pronounced 03.02.2026) dismissed W.P.(C) 4354/2025 filed by unsuccessful candidates of the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2023, assailing the CAT, Principal Bench order dated 28.11.2024 dismissing O.A. No. 3109/2024, wherein they alleged that about 11 questions in Paper-II (CSAT) were beyond the prescribed Class X-level syllabus, vitiating the examination and selection. Held: (i) the scope of judicial review in competitive-examination matters is extremely limited — the Court does not sit in appeal over the examining body nor substitute its opinion for subject experts, interfering only for mala fides, arbitrariness or patent illegality (J.P. Kulshrestha; Chancellor v. Bijayananda Kar; Sanchit Bansal relied on); (ii) the UPSC Expert Committee, distinct from the paper-setters, examined the objections and concluded that all impugned Paper-II questions were within the prescribed syllabus and the mathematical questions did not exceed Class 10 level; the Court cannot sit in appeal over the experts or re-examine the questions, and mere disagreement without perversity or manifest error is no ground for interference; (iii) an identical challenge to the same examination stands rejected in Siddharth Mishra v. UPSC, W.P.(C) No. 11099/2023, which attained finality on dismissal of the SLP and is a binding precedent; (iv) the petition also fails for non-joinder of the successful candidates, whose rights would be affected by the reliefs sought; and (v) the CSE 2023 selection having concluded (with 2024 and 2025 examinations held), the reliefs are infructuous, and additional attempts or age relaxation cannot be granted as the Examination Rules are statutory. Petition dismissed; sealed-cover documents returned to UPSC counsel; pending applications disposed of.
