Govt solution on CSAT best and quick, says Venkaiah

Centre in no mood to give further concession to aspirants

The government on Tuesday described its formula to solve the controversy surrounding the civil services aptitude test (CSAT) as “best and quick”, but unimpressed aspirants vowed to continue their protest accusing the NDA dispensation of betrayal.  

Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu told BJP MPs that the decision on CSAT was the “best and quick” solution taken by the government so as not to disrupt the examination process.

The government appears in no mood to give further concession to students on the issue with the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) putting its foot down on the continuance of CSAT. 

The UPSC fears that scrapping the CSAT at the last minute would attract litigation. The examination will be held as scheduled on August 24 with the changes announced by the government, sources said. 

“The government has made its stand clear yesterday (Monday),” Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was tasked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to oversee efforts to defuse the crisis, was quoted by NDTV as saying. Trying to assuage the concerns of protesters, the government on Monday recommended exclusion of English marks for clearing the prelims, besides giving an extra chance next year for those who appeared in 2011 exam, when the CSAT was introduced.

A number of UPSC aspirants shifted their month-long protest demanding scrapping of the CSAT to Jantar Mantar, the “dharna hotspot” in the capital, from north Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar. Most of the aspirants live in Mukherjee Nagar where there are a number of coaching institutes. 

The protesters, who were joined by Aam Aadmi Party leader Yogendra Yadav, said they would continue their fight until the government scraps the controversial CSAT. They said they were not happy with the piecemeal approach of the government.

“We are not satisfied. The government has not fulfilled its promise by proposing such changes. We want Modi-led government to scrap this test completely,” Pawan, one of the protest leaders, said.

The protesters alleged that the police are not allowing students to move out of Mukherjee Nagar and are not allowing them to participate in demonstrations. The Delhi Police refuted the allegation.