‘Let govt take the call,’ says Supreme Court on UPSC Civil Services extra attempt case

Aspirants have been raising the issue for the last two years. The petitioners have sought direction from the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to extend them an additional attempt to appear in the exam.

The issue of granting age relaxation and an extra attempt to candidates for the civil services examination (CSE) due to Covid-19 was brought before the Supreme Court of India vide writ petitions in March 2022. 

In the March 24 report, the committee has said that keeping in view the hardships faced by the student community during the first and second waves of Covid-19, it recommends the government change its mind and sympathetically consider the demand for civil services examination (CSE) aspirants and grant an extra attempt with corresponding age relaxation to all candidates.

In the hearing, the Centre told the Supreme Court that it is not feasible to change the existing provisions regarding the number of attempts and age limit in respect of the civil services examination. Therefore, the demand for an extra attempt cannot be entertained. 

In December last year, the aggrieved aspirants also staged a protest at Delhi’s Old Rajinder Nagar. “Many of the students either lost a parent or both to Covid around the exam day or themselves suffered from the infection. We are just seeking the implementation of provisions already available. Additional chances should be provided to affected candidates who could not appear for the exam in the last two years,” the protestors claimed.