The Indian Supreme Court has adjourned a hearing on a plea seeking an extra chance for Public Service aspirants who had taken their last attempt at the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination in October.
Solicitor General, Tushar Mehta (pictured) appearing for the Government, requested the adjournment until next week, saying the Government needed some time to discuss the matter.
“We are seeking adjournment as there may not be a need to trouble the court,” Mr Mehta said.
The court had previously asked the Government and the UPSC to explain why no extra attempt could be given to Public Service aspirants when such relaxation had been extended in past years, and sought to know how many times extra attempts were given to candidates previously.
Additional Solicitor General, S.V. Raju said that in the years 1992 and 2015, a relaxation had been given due to “pattern change” in the examination.
The Government had earlier told the court that no extra attempt for the examination would be given to students who had their last attempt in October.
Before that, the court was informed that the proposal to give an extra chance was under “active consideration” by the Government and the UPSC.
The bench was hearing a petition seeking an extra attempt for those candidates who had preparations for their last attempt disrupted by the pandemic.
In some cases candidates were unable to appear for the examination because of lockdowns and transport chaos.
New Delhi, 2 February, 2021
