Many candidates who fail to qualify in SSC exams want to know why they were not selected, whether the evaluation was correct, and what category they were considered under. The Right to Information (RTI) Act is often used to seek such clarity.
A case before the Central Information Commission (CIC) sheds light on what information SSC must disclose and what the candidate is entitled to know.
Case Example: RTI Request for Reason of Non-Selection in SSC Exam
Background
An applicant who appeared for a special SSC examination wanted to know:
· Why he was not recommended as successful.
· Under which caste/category he was considered.
· Whether his candidature was processed correctly.
The SSC’s Public Information Officer (PIO) replied stating that:
· The applicant was considered under the Unreserved (UR) category.
· Hence, his marks may not have met the cutoff.
However, no supporting documents or specific reasons were given.
CIC’s Observations
The Central Information Commission made several important findings:
1. SSC must have records showing why the candidate was treated as UR
If the candidate claimed to be OBC and SSC processed him as UR, there must be:
· Forms
· Documents
· Category verification records
These must be disclosed.
2. SSC cannot deny the basis of categorization
The Commission held that the applicant has a right to know:
· What category he was assigned
· Why he was placed in that category
· Whether documents submitted reflected OBC or UR
This is part of the decision-making process and must be transparent.
3. Candidate is entitled to cut-off details
To understand why he wasn’t selected, the applicant must know:
· Marks of the last selected candidate in his category
· Cut-off applicable for that exam
This helps him verify if the decision was correct.
CIC’s Directions
The Commission directed the PIO to:
· Provide copies of relevant documents showing the applicant’s caste/category as considered .
· Provide marks of the last selected candidate in the same category.
Once these are given, the applicant can verify:
· If SSC wrongly placed him in the UR category
· Whether his marks were below the cutoff
· Whether any error occurred in processing his application
What SSC Candidates Can Seek Through RTI
The CIC decision clarifies that the following can be obtained under RTI:
✔ Category under which you were considered
✔ Documents showing your category in SSC records
✔ Cutoff marks of selected candidates
✔ Your own marks
✔ Normalization details (if applicable)
✔ Category-wise selection list
✔ Reasons based on documents (not justification/opinion)
What You Cannot Seek
You cannot ask for:
✘ “Why was I not selected?” in narrative form
SSC is not required to give explanations or opinions.
RTI allows disclosure only of records, not reasons or justifications.
✘ Personal details of other candidates
Such information is protected under Section 8(1)(j).
Key Takeaway
RTI cannot force SSC to “explain” your rejection, but it can force SSC to provide documents that help you understand it.
This includes:
· Your category
· Your marks
· Cutoff of selected candidates
· Documents used during evaluation
This empowers candidates to check if processing errors were made.
