New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday took cognizance of the Centre’s stand that UPSC Civil, including the students who failed to appear for the exam in the last attempt due to the COVID-19 epidemic last year. UPSC Civil Services candidates are against a one-time exemption on the age limit.
The Center said that giving such students another chance this year would discriminate against other candidates. The court also asked questions on the private sector being given a chance through bureaucratic ‘lateral entry’. The Center briefed a bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar.
The bench while hearing the petition reserved its decision. The petition has requested another opportunity to be given to students who failed to appear for exams in their last attempt in 2020 due to the epidemic. The bench also asked the UPSC to file a note on the issue of ‘lateral entry’ in the bureaucracy from the private sector.
The bench said, “You have a policy to include candidates from private service at joint secretary level. Discount is also given. The age limit for lateral entry is 45. “
The bench also had Justice Indu Malhotra and Justice Ajay Rastogi. The hearing was conducted through video conference. The bench said that the government agreed to give a chance to the candidates who had lost the last attempt in 2020, but they have not agreed to increase the age limit from 32 to 33.
The bench said, “We will examine them all.” The judgment is reserved. ” Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the Center, said that initially the government was not in favor of giving additional opportunity and did so on the suggestion of the bench. Raju told the bench, “This is not an exam in which you prepare in the last minute.” People prepare for it for years. “
The Center told the Supreme Court on February 5 that it agreed to give an additional chance as a one-time relief to the UPSC Civil Service candidates, who were last tried in the 2020 examination between the Covid-19 epidemic and expired. Has not happened.
In the document filed in the Supreme Court on February 5, the Center had said that during CSE-2021, relief will not be provided to the candidates whose last attempt is not over or the candidates who have crossed the prescribed age limit in various categories. . Apart from this, the candidates not eligible to appear for the exam due to other reasons also will not get relief in CSE-2021.
The Center also told the bench that this relief will be applicable only for CSE-2021 as a one-time opportunity and it will not be seen as an example. The Center had said that in the future, no claim of any vested right will be presented on the basis of this relief. The bench asked Raju to distribute this document and also asked the petitioners to file their reply in this regard.
The Center had on February 1 told the court that it could not give additional chance to such candidates who could not appear in UPSC exam 2020 due to Covid-19 or not preparing properly. The government had said that giving additional opportunities to candidates who lost the last chance in 2020 would be discriminatory against others.
During the hearing, the Center gave detailed information to the court regarding the exemption granted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) since the commencement of the Civil Services Examination in the country and stated that due to changes in the examination pattern in the years 1979, 1992 and 2015 Candidates were exempted.
The apex court, on 30 September last year, refused to accept the request to postpone the preliminary examination of the UPSC Civil Service due to floods and Covid-19 epidemic in several areas of the country.
