Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi, Jan 6: The Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed a petition filed by several candidates asking for a postponement of the Civil Services (Mains) Examination 2021 schedule till the Covid-19 situation improves.
This came a day after the UPSC said that it will conduct the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 as per schedule on 7, 8, 9, 15 and 16 January.
The UPSC said amid several states announcing restrictions on movement, they also asked the state governments to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to the candidates and examination functionaries.
“After carefully reviewing the situation prevailing due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Commission has decided to conduct the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 as per schedule i.e. on 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th January, 2022,” the UPSC said in a statement.
“The states were told that if necessary, the e-admit cards of the candidates and the identity cards of the examination functionaries are to be used as movement passes,” added the UPSC.
The Union Public Service Commission opposed the candidates petition and stated that candidates can follow basic protocols like wearing double masks to prevent themselves from infection.
Advocate Naresh Kaushik, appearing for UPSC, also submitted before the court that during the prelims examination, across 9 lakh students had appeared but in the main exam, only around 9,000 are appearing.
“Candidates have already downloaded the admits cards. From tomorrow the exam is starting. Our supervisors have already reached the centres,” the advocate submitted.
He also submitted before the court that the Supreme Court last year rejected a similar petition.
Meanwhile, Advocate appearing for petitioners (candidates), Anushree Kapadia, submitted that the candidates will have to take the risk of travelling from hotel to centres to their home towns.
Advocate Kapadia said, “Tomorrow there are two papers for six hours. Candidates will have to sit for six hours in one examination room. Petitioners have already made representations to UPSC on which no steps were taken which is why the petition was filed yesterday. A press release was issued yesterday which had no mentions of SOP.”
Notably, the petition was filed by nineteen candidates who have cleared their UPSC Civil Services Examination 2021 – Preliminary Examination and now have to appear in the Mains Examination.
The Mains examination for CSE 2021 is presently scheduled from January 7, 2022 to January 16,2022.
