Chairman solely decides on 258 confidential cases in one year

Jaipur: A shocking revelation has come to light regarding the functioning of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), which has come into controversy due to paper leak cases. A government investigation has revealed that in the last one year, the RPSC Chairman took decisions at his level in 258 cases, including confidential matters, without calling a meeting of the Commission. In these cases, the Chairman used special powers and completed the formalities by taking comments from the members through circulation. Some members of the Commission were already under suspicion, but with this new revelation, the Chairman has also come into the dock.

This picture of the functioning of the Commission came to light when the Personnel Department gathered complete information regarding the matter raised by MLA Hanuman Beniwal in the Assembly regarding the RPSC. An investigation revealed that no meeting of the full bench of the Commission was called from January 2023 last year to January 2024 this year. During this period, decisions on 258 matters, including confidential matters, were taken at the level of the Chairman. Broadly speaking, during this entire year, all types of decisions were passed through circulation only. After the formation of the BJP government in the state, on January 23, 2024, following the instructions of the Cabinet, a meeting of the Full Commission was held in which the date of the RAS examination was postponed.

In response to the Personnel Department, the RPSC has stressed a ‘loophole’ in the rules for not deciding the Full Commission meeting. Citing the rules, RPSC has said that given the workload, the meeting of the entire Commission is organised as per requirement and if there is any necessary agenda, the meeting is organised immediately. In those cases that have to be disposed of quickly, the comments of all the members are taken through circulation. The big question that arises regarding this argument is whether all the 258 cases in the entire year were of the nature of quick disposal.

When First India spoke to a former chairman of the RPSC on this matter, he said that in major cases, decisions are taken only by calling a meeting of the Commission. Decisions are taken through circulation only in extremely urgent situations. He also questioned that when the Chairman has to make all the decisions, then what is the need to have members in the Commission?