Civil Services Prelims 2021 exam will be hampered if CSE 2020 is deferred any further: UPSC tells Supreme Court
Union Public Service Commission has informed the Supreme Court that the October 4 date for conducting the Civil services preliminary exam 2020 cannot be deferred on account of COVID19 as it would lead to delaying next year's prelims too scheduled for June 27, 2021.
The Commission has stated that it would not be in a position to declare the results of 2020 exam without delaying the already scheduled 2021 prelims.
UPSC has further averred that it has received requests and e-mails from students to not postpone the examination any further. All such requests have been annexed along with the affidavit filed.
UPSC affidavit comes after a petition in the Supreme Court seeks to postpone the 2020 prelims on account of rising cases of COVID-19.
The Commission has informed the Supreme Court that Right to Equality can only be maintained if the students who are desirous of appearing in the CSE 2020 exams on October 4 are allowed to take the exam like previous years examinations.
UPSC has maintained that the May 31 scheduled exam was time and again postponed after continuous assessments till the final date of October 4 was zeroed on.
Around 67,717 candidates have availed the option of altering their choice of exam centres, the affidavit says.
Further, the Commission has submitted that all arrangements pertaining to the exam have been completed and a total cost of ₹ 50.39 crores has been incurred from public exchequer fund to ensure the exam is conducted on October 4.
UPSC highlighting its successful track record of holding exams this year has submitted that National Defense Academy and Naval Academy examination on September 6 was conducted smoothly.
It has also stated that students appearing in NDA exam are 12th passed whereas the ones taking the October 4 exam are graduates, minimum. Therefore, "more responsible behaviour and care" is expected from such students.
Advocate Naresh Kaushik, appearing for UPSC, had earlier informed the Bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari that it was not "possible" to defer the prelims beyond October 4 as "it would hamper the objectives of the exam catering to the four arms of the government."
The petition filed through Advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava urges the Court to quash the revised calendar issued by the UPSC, seeking postponement of the exam by two or three months till the COVID-19 pandemic has subsided.
Apart from the main plea, the father of a serving officer in the Central Armed Police Forces of the Government of India has moved an application.
The applicant points out that his son, the government officer himself, was set to prepare for the civil services, but the extra workload on account of COVID-19 has hindered his preparations.
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