Civil service exams: Two extra attempts

Two year age relaxation for general aspirants

In a good news for lakhs of civil services aspirants, the government today decided to give two additional attempts to all categories of candidates of the prestigious exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission.

"The central government has approved two additional attempts to all categories of candidates with effect from Civil Services Examination 2014, with consequential age relaxation of maximum age for all categories of candidates, if required," the Ministry of Personnel said in an order.

The Civil Services Examination (Preliminary), 2014 is tentatively scheduled to be held on August 24, this year.

The Civil Service Examinations is conducted by the UPSC to select Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) among others.

The examinations is conducted in three stages-- preliminary, mains and interview.

A candidate is permitted a maximum of four attempts for the examination. However, there is no restriction on number of attempts by a candidates belonging to Scheduled Castes (SCs) and Scheduled Tribes (STs). The age limit for such aspirants has been extended by two years from 35 to 37, it said. An Other Backward Classes candidate will get nine attempts till 35.

As many as seven attempts are permissible to an aspirant belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBCs), according to a notification issued for Civil Services Examinations, 2013.

A candidate who has attained the age of 21 years but not attained 30 years may apply for the civil services examination, as per eligibility mentioned in the notification.

The upper age limit is relaxable up to a maximum of five years for candidates belonging to SCs or STs categories and up to a maximum of three years for candidates of OBC category among others.

The upper age limit is also relaxable upto a maximum of five years if a candidate had ordinarily been domiciled in Jammu & Kashmir during January 1, 1980 to December 31, 1989.

It can also be relaxed upto a maximum of three years in the case of defence services personnel disabled in operations during hostilities with any foreign country or in a disturbed area and released as a consequence thereof.

There is also a relaxation in upper age upto a maximum of 10 years in the case of blind, deaf-mute and orthopaedically handicapped candidates besides other categories, the rules said.