No extra chance for taking UPSC exam: Top court

THE COURT LEFT IT TO THE CENTRE TO TAKE A CALL, EVEN AS IT SAID THAT THIS WOULD SET A WRONG KIND OF PRECEDENT

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to provide an extra chance to appear for the Civil Services Examination in 2021 to candidates barred by age or number of attempts from taking it, after some of them approached the apex court citing difficulties in preparation that affected their performance in the October 2020 exam.

The court did not see merit in the grounds on which the candidates were seeking an extra chance, and was also worried about this setting the wrong kind of precedent.

In a February 5 hearing, the government offered candidates who have exhausted their chances an extra one, as a concession, but the court advised it against this, although it said the government is free to exercise its discretion in addressing the grievances of the petitioners.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether the government will now go ahead with this offer.

Dismissing the plea of nearly 150 candidates who approached the Supreme Court, a threejudge bench comprising justices

AM Khanwilkar, Indu Malhotra and Ajay Rastogi said: “What is being claimed and prayed for under the guise of Covid-19 pandemic is nothing but a lame excuse in taking additional attempt to participate in the Civil Service Examination (CSE), 2021.”

In its 40-page judgment, the court said the pattern of CSE has remained unchanged since 2015; the candidates got an additional five months to prepare considering that the examination was originally to be held in May 2020; and those petitioning the court chose not to exercise the option to withdraw from the examination despite the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), which conducts it, opening a second window for withdrawal between August 1-8, 2020, in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.