SC irked over civil services issue

Questions Centre on no extra chance to aspirants during Covid pandemic

New Delhi, Jan. 28: The Supreme Court Thursday questioned the Centre for filing an affidavit without specifying at whose level the decision was taken for not granting one more opportunity to UPSC civil services aspirants who could not appear in their last attempt in 2020 exam due to Covid-19 pandemic.

A bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar expressed displeasure over it and said that the affidavit filed before it was not clear about at whose level this decision was taken.

The bench, also comprising Justices B.R. Gavai and Krishna Murari, observed that a routine affidavit has been filed before it by an under-secretary level officer.

It is a policy decision, the bench said, adding the affidavit does not say anything about at whose level this decision has been taken .

The top court has posted the matter for further hearing on Friday. The court is hearing a plea seeking grant of one more chance to appear in the UPSC’s civil services examination to those aspirants who could not appear in their last attempt in 2020 due to the pandemic.

On January 25, the Centre had told the apex court that allowing extra attempt in UPSC civil services exam to those who could not appear in their last chance in 2020 due to Covid-19 would create a cascading effect , detrimental to the overall functioning and level playing field necessary for a public examination system.

In an affidavit filed in the apex court, the Centre had said that giving an additional attempt or relaxation in age for some candidates would amount to extending differential treatment to similarly placed aspirants at the examination.

“It is therefore respectfully submitted that accommodating the present petitioners would create a cascading effect detrimental to the overall functioning and level playing field necessary to be provided in any public examination system,” said the affidavit, filed by an under secretary in the department of personnel and training.

It had said a total of 4,86,952 candidates appeared in the October 4 last year examination.

◗ THE SC questioned the Centre for filing an affidavit without specifying at whose level the decision was taken for not granting one more opportunity to aspirants who could not appear in their last attempt in 2020 exam due to the pandemic