In a first, UPSC allows candidates to withdraw from exams

Claiming that only half of the over 10 lakh aspirants who apply for civil services exam actually write the test, the UPSC Monday said it has decided to allow the candidates to withdraw from the examination, according to an official statement.

The arrangement will be implemented beginning with Engineering Services Examination, 2019, it said.

Addressing an event Monday, Union Public Service Commission chairman Arvind Saxena said the UPSC's experience with the civil services examination is that roughly 50 per cent of the 10 lakh plus candidates who fill in the application forms for the preliminary exams actually write the papers, the statement said.

The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- to select officers for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.

"The Commission has to book venues, print papers, hire invigilators and ship the documents for all the 10 lakh applicants - which turns out to be a 50 per cent waste of energy and resources," he said on the occasion of the 92nd foundation day celebrations Monday.

Saxena said, "The UPSC's view is that if we are able to work with genuine and serious candidates, we can give them better facilities and make our system more efficient."