GOVERNMENT OF INDIA FINDS AN EXTRA ATTEMPT AND AGE RELAXATION NOT FEASIBLE FOR CIVIL SERVICES CANDIDATES

DOPT (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND TRAINING):

The Government of India's Ministry of Personnel Public Grievances and Pensions (Department of Personnel and Training) published a notice on July 20, 2022, regarding the extra attempts or age relaxation that many affected students were requesting as a result of the covid epidemic. An unstarred question was posed to the government in the Lok Sabha.

Shri P. V. MIDHUN REDDY, a member of parliament, raised the issue in the Lok Sabha:

* Whether the Government will consider giving extra attempts or age relaxation for SSC and UPSC examinations to frontline workers like doctors and police constables during the pandemic

(a) if so, the details thereof including the steps taken in this regard; 

(b) and if not, the reasons therefore?

In the response to the questions asked, Dr. Jitendra Singh (MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE) said the government has not found it feasible to change the existing provisions regarding the number of attempts and age-limit for  the civil services examination. 

• According to Dr. Jitendra Singh, the minister of state for personnel and training, the issue of granting age relaxation and additional attempts to candidates for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) due to the COVID-19 pandemic was brought before the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India via Writ Petitions by CSE aspirants.

• “Based on the judgments passed by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India, the matter was considered found not feasible to change the existing provisions regarding a number of attempts and age-limit in respect of the Civil Services Examination”, he said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

• However, since the COVID-19 epidemic delayed the Staff Selection Commission's hiring cycle, the organisation has now chosen to set the important date for calculating age as of January 1, 2022, for the examinations being advertised in that year, he added.

• According to the schedule for conducting the Tier-II Examinations, the key date for calculating the age for these exams would have been either 01.08.2022 or 01.01.2023, Dr. Singh said.

Candidates should be in touch with the Official Website regularly for updates.