COVID-19: Issue concerning additional try to seem in exams very difficult, UPSC tells SC

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The UPSC Monday advised the Supreme Court that challenge raised in a petition filed by three aspirants, who had cleared the UPSC 2021 prelims examination however couldn’t seem in all papers of the principle examination after testing optimistic for COVID-19 and are actually in search of an additional try to seem within the exams, is “very complicated”.

The petitioners have sought a course to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to increase them a further try to seem within the examination or within the alternate make some association to seem in remainder of the papers which they might not give, earlier than the publication of outcome.

The counsel showing for the UPSC advised the apex court docket that he must take directions and place on file all of the points earlier than any choice is taken on the problem.

“I think this is an issue which is very, very complicated. I think I need instructions and place on record all the aspects before your lordships, before any decision is taken,” the UPSC’s counsel advised a bench of Justices A M Khanwilkar and C T Ravikumar.

The bench posted the matter for listening to on March 21 and stated that affidavits be filed by the events earlier than the subsequent date.

While two of the three petitioners needed to depart the principle examination, held from January 7 to 16, in-between after showing in some preliminary papers, the third aspirant couldn’t seem in any of the papers on account of COVID.

During the listening to on Monday, senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, who was showing for the petitioners, advised the bench that that they had served the copy of the petition to the counsel for the respondents — the Centre and UPSC.

While in search of two weeks to take directions within the matter, the counsel showing for the fee advised the bench that interviews are slated to start out solely in April.

On February 28, the bench had requested the petitioners to serve the copy of the petition to the standing counsel for the involved respondents.

The petitioners, of their plea filed by means of advocate Shashank Singh, have stated that they had been examined optimistic for COVID-19 within the RTPCR take a look at stories dated January 13, 14 and January 6.

The plea has stated the petitioners couldn’t give the UPSC mains examination after testing optimistic for COVID-19 and owing to the restrictions imposed beneath the strict quarantine pointers of the federal government.

“Also, there was absence of any kind of policy of UPSC which could provide arrangements for such petitioners who were COVID positive during the span of mains examination or before it,” it stated.

“The petitioners are approaching this court under Article 32 and seeking a direction to the Respondent/ UPSC to extend them an additional (extra) attempt to appear in the examination or in alternate, make some arrangement to appear in the rest of papers which the petitioners could not give before the publication of result of civil service mains examination 2021,” the plea stated.

It claimed that absence of coverage and no association to accommodate COVID-19 optimistic petitioners to seem within the civil service mains examination 2021 have violated their rights, together with that of beneath Article 14 (equality earlier than regulation) of the Constitution of India.