UPSC Exam: No extra attempt for students who could not appear in UPSC Mains 2021 due to COVID-19
UPSC filed an affidavit in SC on the plea of 3 aspirants who could not appear in the UPSC Mains exam after testing COVID-19 positive.
UPSC IAS Main Exam 2021: The apex court has been told by the Centre that there is no provision for conducting a re-examination for a candidate who fails to appear in any exam on the planned date for any reasons, including illness or accident hindering him to take the exam. UPSC has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court which is hearing a petition filed by 3 UPSC candidates who had cleared the Preliminary exam but could not appear in some or all papers of the UPSC main exam after testing positive for COVID-19. These candidates were desiring an extra attempt to sit in the mains exams but the Commission has said that any decision regarding age relaxation or an additional attempt in the civil services examination is a “policy matter” which comes under the territory of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoP&T).
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The Centre has put its point forward that taking a decision in the favor of these 3 candidates will lead to similar demands by other categories of candidates, therefore, the authority has decided not to conduct the exam again.
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“The Commission generally conducts 13 examinations apart from several recruitment tests throughout the year. In regard to these examinations, there is no provision for conducting a re-examination in case any candidate fails to appear in the exam on the scheduled date(s) for any particular reason be it ailment or accident incapacitating him/her to take the exam,” it said. In the past also, the Commission has never conducted any re-examination under similar circumstances. The affidavit filed by the UPSC said civil services examination is conducted rigidly in agreement with the rules of examination formulated annually by the DoP&T. It also said that over the years, a process has developed involving recruitment, training, and final appointment guaranteeing that the government gets its required manpower on time and any disturbance at any stage has the possibility of aggravating the entire process not only for time but can have a “cascading effects in future as well”.