Supreme Court Orders Fresh Medical Test for Civil Services Candidate

The Supreme Court has ordered the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to conduct a fresh medical examination for Rakshit Shivam Prakash, who had been deemed 'temporarily unfit' for civil services due to obesity in 2014. The court exercised its special powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to grant this relief.

Nearly a decade after Rakshit Shivam Prakash was deemed 'temporarily unfit' for civil services due to obesity, the Supreme Court stepped in on Friday, ordering the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to conduct a fresh medical examination.

Utilizing special powers granted under Article 142 of the Constitution, the Supreme Court directed the UPSC to conduct a new physical fitness test for Prakash. He had ranked 93rd in the 2014 civil services exam but was disqualified due to a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 31.75, which exceeds the acceptable standard of 30.

A bench comprising Justices P S Narasimha and Pankaj Mithal said that while fresh medicals are to be scheduled, Prakash would neither claim appointment in the 2014 batch nor be entitled to seniority. The court clarified this decision should not be treated as a precedent.