UPSC candidates who missed exams due to COVID-19 to get extra chance

The central government on Friday agreed to give UPSC CSE Prelims candidates to appear for an extra attempt who had exhausted all attempts in October 2020 because of restrictions imposed due to the ongoing coronavoris pandemic. However, this is a one-time relaxation only and shall apply only for appearing in CSE-2021 and shall not be treated as a precedent," the centre said in a note to the Supreme Court today. As per the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a general category candidate till 32 years of age can appear for only six times while an OBC and SC or ST candidates can appear for nine times till 35 and 37 years of age respectively. 

Rachna Singh, who has been preparing for one of the most competitive exams in the country conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking one more chance to attempt the test. Ms Singh claimed the disruption caused by the pandemic left many civil service aspirants unable to prepare well. The civil services preliminary exam scheduled on May 31 last year was eventually held on October 4.

In an affidavit earlier, the centre had said the claim by the petitioner that candidates could not prepare well for the exam due to stress amid the lockdown necessitated by the pandemic was not entirely true as they were given extra time to prepare by postponing the civil service (preliminary) examination from May 31 to October 4, 2020. At least 4,86,952 candidates appeared for the exam on October 4, according to government data. The main exam for civil services 2020 was held from January 8 to 17. Over 10,000 candidates were shortlisted for the main exam, based on marks they got in the preliminary exam. The notification for civil services exam this year is scheduled to be released on February 10.