After exam glitches and protests, Bombay High Court cancels clerk typing test

On Saturday, the Bombay High Court canceled a typing test for 1,362 clerk positions due to widespread reports of technical glitches during the examination. Candidates across Maharashtra had complained about server and hardware failures, software lag, unexpected logouts, and inconsistent test start times, which they claimed negatively impacted their performance. The fresh typing test will be administered on a new schedule and at venues to be determined separately on the High Court's website.

The Registrar (Personnel) stated that the August 16 typing test was cancelled to ensure the fairness of the selection process. The High Court had initially notified candidates that technical problems reported during the examination were being investigated and that further details on the course of action would be provided. The recruitment process has drawn a significant number of applicants, with 1,362 clerk posts available—830 at the Mumbai principal seat, 166 in Nagpur, and 366 in Aurangabad.

Approximately 13,000 candidates were deemed qualified for the examination, with a minimum score of 10 marks required in the typing test to be considered for the Clerk position.

The test's cancellation followed days of protests by candidates who alleged that the technical issues were not isolated to specific centers. They reported widespread hardware and server failures, delays, software lag, unexpected logouts, and tests starting at different times. These issues reportedly affected candidates' typing speed and overall performance, potentially leading to disqualification.

Candidates staged sit-in protests outside examination centers, demanding a retest. Abhijeet Dipke, founder and national coordinator of the Cockroach Janta Party (CJP), joined the protests, urging the court to avoid using faulty equipment for the re-examination.

On the day of the examination, the High Court acknowledged the occurrence of technical problems at some centers but stated that the process "was smoothly conducted" across Maharashtra, with only minor issues reported in Aurangabad and Kalyan. However, five days later, the administration decided to conduct a complete re-test instead of relying on the disputed August 16 examination results. The High Court has yet to announce the date and locations for the fresh typing test.