Centre Opposes Granting Age Limit Relaxation For UPSC Exams

UPSC Exams Age Limit Relaxation: The Centre on Tuesday expressed its disapproval to the Supreme Court over relaxing the age limit for aspirants of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services exams.

The SC had on Monday asked the Centre to consider a one-time age limit relaxation, including for aspirants who exhausted their attempts last year amid the pandemic. A bench led by Justice AM Khanwilkar held this in response to a plea seeking another attempt for candidates who were unable to give the exams last year. 

UPSC Exams Age Limit: Centre says relaxation unfair

The Centre, as per Livemint, was not in favour of relaxation, saying it would be unfair for other students. "This is not the exam where you prepare at the last minutes. People prepare for years together," Additional Solicitor General S V Raju for the Centre said. 

UPSC Exams Age Limit: No Relaxation For Aspirants 

As per the Centre's observation on February 5, aspirants who missed the UPSC exams last year citing the COVID-19 pandemic would have been eligible for sitting for the exams this year given they were not age-barred. "Relaxation... may be granted to only those candidates who appeared for CSE-2020 as their last permissible attempt and are otherwise not age-barred from appearing in CSE-2021," it said in a note to the SC. 

As per reports, the Centre had made the condition, "This relaxation for the candidates and to the extent as prescribed above, shall be a one-time relaxation only and shall apply only for appearing in CSE-2021 and shall not be treated as a precedent."