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#UPSCExtraAttempt: Why Are Civil Service Aspirants Demanding Another Chance?

#UPSCExtraAttempt: "UPSC aspirants need a sympathetic hearing of their concerns and an extra attempt. Is it too big a demand? Think once", tweeted RJD leader Manoj Jha.

Updated: November 28, 2021 11:37 AM IST

By India.com News Desk | Edited by Surabhi Shaurya

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#UPSCExtraAttempt: Why Are Civil Service Aspirants Demanding Another Chance?

UPSC Extra Attempt: Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the three contentious farm laws against which farmers were protesting at the borders of Delhi would be repealed, scores of UPSC aspirants are hopeful that the government would listen to their demands as well. Claiming that COVID-19 pandemic has affected their preparations, a section of UPSC aspirants will also hold a protest on Sunday in the national capital to press for their demands, which include two more attempts and two years of age relaxation (including aspirants of 2020, 2021) in all central government exams (UPSC, SSC, IBPS, SBI, RBI, etc).

Why are students demanding one more chance? 

UPSC aspirants are demanding an extra attempt in lieu of the one lost during the first wave of Coronavirus. Among these, a majority of the aspirants have either crossed the age-bar or have exhausted their last attempt in October last year.

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Earlier last month, scores of UPSC aspirants had staged a ‘Satyagraha at the Jantar Mantar to press their demands. They had also knocked  the door of the Supreme Court to allow them one more attempt on humanitarian ground.

However, on July 22, the top court had refused to direct the Central government and UPSC to grant an extra chance to them.

“Loss of Dream, Loss of Hope”

Tagging PMO and Home Minister Amit Shah, a medical aspirant tweeted, “This loss of attempt is not only loss of attempt, but this is also loss of dreams loss of hope of life to covid. Indirect death of aspirants.”

Extending support to students, RJD leader, and DU Professsor Manoj Kumar Jha said,”Aspirants whose preparations for UPSC were badly affected on account of COVID19 aren’t asking for moon dear @DoPTGoI.. They just need a sympathetic hearing of their concerns and an extra attempt. Is it too big a demand? Think once!! #UPSCExtraAttempt”.

“Repeating the same request @DoPTGoI after 8 months. Please do remember that Honorable Supreme Court of India has also asked you to take a ‘lenient view’ of the concerns of thousands of students”, he added.

Vidya, a frontline Covid worker who had graduated from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 2018 and had planned to prepare for the civil services exam. “When Covid struck in March 2020, I took to the field and like every other doctor, I was constantly amid Covid patients in a single PPE kit for about 12-15 hours. During that time, I was working to serve my people. But in the back of my mind, I was sure that we will be compensated by the government,” she said, adding, “After the dates for the prelims were announced, I took the exam but since I was unable to prepare for the same, I couldn’t clear it.”

Pallavi, an MSc pass out, said she had been preparing for UPSC since 2017. “During the pandemic, I lost my Dadi and Nani, while my mother too tested positive for Covid. She was hospitalised for one-and-a-half months, and after being discharged, she had a heart issue. All my time was spent taking care of my family.”

UPSC Exams

The UPSC is the government’s main recruiting agency for A grade services in India. It conducts entrance examinations for the prestigious Civil Services, Combined Defence Services, and National Defence Academy.

Apart from these examinations, the UPSC also conducts entrance examinations for the Indian Forest Services and Group A examination for Central Armed Police Force.

The examination pattern however varies but most of the examinations comprise three stages of the selection process. The first stage is the preliminary exam, the second is the mains and the last is the interview.

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