The announcement has come a week before the next notification for UPSC CSE was about to be released.
New Delhi: Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that civil service candidates who exhausted their final attempt last year amid the coronavirus pandemic will get one more chance to appear in the UPSC exam, provided they are within the eligible age limit.
The announcement has come a week before the next notification for UPSC CSE was about to be released.
A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar had taken note of the submissions of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing on behalf of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).
The Supreme Court was hearing a plea today by Rachna Singh, a civil services aspirant, seeking an extra attempt in the UPSC exams for those candidates who had their last attempt in the exam was held on 4 October last year.
"This relaxation for the candidates... shall be a one-time relaxation only and shall apply only for appearing in CSE-2021 and shall not be treated as a precedent," the centre said in a note to the Supreme Court today.
"We appreciate your stand," a bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar and Dinesh Maheshwari said today, and adjourned the proceedings to Monday.
The bench told additional solicitor general SV Raju to circulate the note and asked the petitioners to file their responses to it.
The civil services preliminary exam scheduled on May 31 last year was eventually held on October 4.
The top court on September 30 last year had refused to postpone the UPSC civil services preliminary exam because of the Covid-19 pandemic and floods in several parts of the country.
However, it had directed the central government and the UPSC to consider granting an extra chance to candidates who have their last attempt in 2020, with a corresponding extension of the upper age-limit.
(With inputs from agency)
