No additional chance for 2012-14 civil services candidates

The Centre has decided that those candidates who were eligible to take civil services examination in 2011, or had taken the test in 2012, 2013 or 2014 will not be given another chance to take this year's examination with changed pattern.
The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) was directed by the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to look into a plea seeking fresh chance to candidates under the changed pattern of civil services exams.
CAT had disposed off the pleas in October asking the government to come out with an order within four weeks time.
The Tribunal in its order had asked the DoPT to examine whether such candidates who were eligible for exam in 2011 or had taken in 2012, 2013 or 2014 should be given "another chance to take civil services exam with changed pattern in 2015."

After analysing all facts, it is decided that these candidates "do not deserve to be given additional chance to appear in civil services examination", an order issued by DoPT said.
The DoPT said the changes introduced in 2015 "did not cause any disadvantage to the examinees as it made general studies Paper-II merely a qualifying paper."

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the prestigious examination annually to select IAS, IFS and IPS officers, among others, in three stages--preliminary (which has two papers), main and interview.
The government had in August last year given an assurance in Parliament regarding additional attempt to the candidates who took 2011 test, this year. Following which an order in this regard was issued by the DoPT.

Aggrieved over the decision, an application was filed in the CAT seeking its direction for the government to allow an additional attempt this year to those candidates who did not appear in 2011 exam but appeared in tests of subsequent years or for those who had applied for the test in 2011.
After considering the matter, it has been decided that the candidates who had taken attempts in civil services examinations in 2012, 2013 and 2014 had got sufficient time to prepare and acclimatise themselves with the new pattern of General Studies Paper II (aptitude test) introduced in 2011.
Moreover, such candidates got the benefit of relaxation in terms of age and attempts in 2014, the DoPT said and decided against giving additional chance this year for those candidates.

The government had last year made amendments in the eligibility conditions which resulted in relaxed age criteria and increased number of attempts.