Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Principal Bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court at Jabalpur on Wednesday issued a notice to the Employees Selection Board (ESB) over bonus marks awarded to candidates in the Primary Teacher Selection Exam 2025. Justice Maninder Singh Bhatti heard the petition challenging alleged irregularities and the wrongful awarding of 5% bonus marks to ineligible candidates.
Following the hearing, the court directed that the disputed merit list shall remain subject to the final verdict. Notices were issued to the ESB and the State government, directing them to submit responses within two weeks.
Advocate Vishal Baghel, appearing for petitioners Sonam Agaraiya and two others, stated that pursuant to Clause 7.7 of the recruitment advertisement, the 5% bonus marks were intended solely for candidates holding a diploma in Special Education recognised by the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI). However, the selection list reveals that 14,964 candidates secured these marks by falsely claiming to belong to this category.
Citing official data from the RCI, the petition points out that only 2,194 personnel and 3,077 professionals are registered on the RCI portal across Madhya Pradesh. Given this, the claim that nearly 15,000 candidates possess Special Education certificates appears fraudulent. The Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) had also alerted the department in January 2026 that the number of candidates claiming this qualification appeared excessively high.
Despite the warning, the Board failed to request RCI registration numbers or certificates. Consequently, bonus marks were awarded via software based solely on self-declarations without physical verification. This resulted in a decline in the merit standing of eligible candidates.
It was argued that hundreds of candidates who secured selection through false information have now approached the High Court, claiming they availed the benefit due to an "inadvertent error" committed in haste. The petition seeks the quashing of the merit list issued on Feb 27, 2026, and prays for a fresh list where marks are awarded exclusively to valid RCI certificate holders. The next hearing is scheduled for April 27.
