The Rajasthan High Court has asked the state government to clarify the criteria used for appointing the Chairman and members of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC). This directive came during a hearing of Public Interest Litigations challenging the appointments of RPSC Acting Chairman Lt Col (retired) Kesari Singh and members Kailash Chand Meena and Ayub Khan. The Court also requested the government to present the original records related to the current members’ appointments.
The petitions allege that the appointments of the RPSC members were made by the former Chief Minister just before the Model Code of Conduct for the Rajasthan Assembly elections was enforced. Advocates representing the petitioners argued that these appointments should be based on merit rather than political considerations. They highlighted concerns over alleged political remarks made by Kesari Singh on social media, questioning the compatibility of such behavior with a constitutional position.
The state government defended the appointments, stating that the issue pertains to service appointments and cannot be challenged through a Public Interest Litigation. However, the High Court asserted its authority to judicially review constitutional appointments and demanded details on the selection criteria for the RPSC Chairman and members. It also inquired about the formal application process for the appointees and ordered the government to produce the original appointment records for scrutiny.
