SC: Why not one more chance to civil service aspirants?

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre why one more chance can not be given to the aspirants for the civil service examination of the Union Public Service Commission's and adjourned further hearing to Friday since they have exhausted their last attempt in October last year. It reacted to additional solicitor general S V Raju reiterating the government's stand that it was not agreeable to give a one-time concession to the candidates. Some of the petitioners are the candidates who become overage unless they are allowed to appear in the exam once again while other pleaded that they could not prepare adequately in October because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

On the court's order in the previous hearing, the ASG submitted a chart on how many times the relaxation was given in the past and how many candidates would come into the fray if such a relaxation is given this time.

The SC was informed that in 1992 and 2015, a relaxation had been given due to pattern change in the civil service exam. Further, there was no system of preliminary examination back then. The SC then asked Raju that if it would only benefit 2,000 candidates or so, excluding those who had crossed the age-limit, why could a onetime relaxation not be given.