UPSC, Civil services are among the toughest tests in the country. People undergo years of hard work and training in order to appear for the exams. Imagine being denied the chance to write the test which one has put in so much hard work for and that too because of the pandemic.
Facts
The UPSC test was held on October 4th 2020. Most of the candidates were last time candidates. All of them, collectively filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking a second attempt. It was contended in the petition that, “preparations for their preliminary examination to be held on October 4, 2020, were affected due to the coronavirus epidemic.” The petition said that the “duty attached with COVID-19” made it hard for a lot of candidates to prepare properly. Poor internet connection restricted access to study materials and there was very limited preparation time.
UPSC
UPSC exam is an exam that is conducted in three phases. The examination helps in selecting the candidates for civil services like Indian Administration Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Revenue Services (IRS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) among others. The exam is conducted in stages like prelims, mains and interview. On a normal level, 8 lakh people appear for this exam every year. The age limits are between 21 and 32 years. SC/ST candidates are given additional 5 years and OBC candidate have additional 3 years. A graduate in any stream can apply for the test.
Analysis
The two-judge bench comprising of Justices A.M. Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari had enquired with the Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju about the number of candidates that would be benefitted by the second attempt. The response received was that around 3,308 candidates would benefit from the additional opportunity.
Centre’s Statement
The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that a second attempt would be provided in 2021 test for those whose last attempt at UPSC was in October 2020. This attempt, Centre reiterated would be a single one and was solely because of the pandemic. The Centre however laid down the condition that the candidates who crossed their age limit would not be permitted to appear for the exam. The Centre’s decision comes after its initial refusal to allow a second attempt.
Supreme Court
The Supreme Court directed the Centre to pass on this information to the lawyers who represented around 100 candidates. These candidates were seeking an additional attempt at UPSC examination. The Court scheduled the next hearing for February 8th.
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