SC asks Centre, UPSC to give an extra chance to age-barred aspirants

The Supreme Court on Monday asked the Centre and UPSC to consider giving an extra chance to Civil Services examinations 2021 aspirants who were age-barred, in view of hardships faced by them due to Covid-19 pandemic.

A bench presided over by Justice A M Khanwilkar told Additional Solicitor General S V Raju that the government should not be rigid and give one more attempt to the candidates who had exhausted their attempts and were age-barred.

"All that they are asking is if they are age barred then give them one more attempt. Is it okay to be rigid in this aspect due to the extra ordinary circumstance we have all gone through," the bench asked the law officer.

To this, Raju said we were of the view that relaxation cannot be granted but then we did after the court suggested it.

Maintaining that we can't direct in policy matters, the bench said, "We are also for it that age should not be changed but since you have done it before cannot you do it again for this extraordinary situation?Some of the candidates were in essential services. May be some will get undue benefit but there are genuine cases also."

The court noted only about 2,200 more candidates would be benefited by such a decision.

The court would further consider the matter on Tuesday.

Earlier senior advocates Shyam Divan and Pallav Sisodia, appearing for the candidates urged the court to direct the UPSC to allow those were age barred to appear one more chance.

On Friday, the Centre and the UPSC on Friday agreed before the court to give an extra chance to candidates who appeared for Civil Services Examinations-2020. However, the relaxation would be granted only to those who appeared as their last permissible attempt and are otherwise not age-barred.

At present, candidates from general category get six attempts till age of 32, nine attempts by the OBC till 35 and SC/ST candidates unlimited attempts till 37 in the Civil Services examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).