Bhopal: In a significant decision aimed at promoting equality, the Madhya Pradesh High Court has ruled in favor of candidates from the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) seeking to appear for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025. The court has granted these candidates a five-year age relaxation and increased the number of attempts to 9, bringing them on par with other reserved category candidates.
This decision is expected to be a historic step towards ensuring that EWS candidates have an equal opportunity in education and administrative services, as they will now benefit from the same privileges as other reserved categories. Previously, these advantages were limited to specific categories, such as OBC, SC/ST, and disabled candidates.
The High Court’s ruling provides that EWS candidates will now receive a 5-year relaxation in the age limit, allowing them to apply for the UPSC CSE until the age of 37, instead of 32. Additionally, the number of attempts has been increased to 9. In the past, EWS candidates were only permitted to attempt the examination six times before the age of 32.
The decision comes after a petition was filed by Aditya Narayan Pandey from Maihar, who pointed out that EWS candidates were being treated similarly to the general category candidates in terms of age limit and attempts. Pandey argued that, despite being categorized under the reserved section, EWS candidates were denied these crucial benefits, which were granted to other categories, including OBC, SC/ST, and disabled candidates.
The division bench of Chief Justice Suresh Kumar Kait and Justice Vivek Jain, which passed the order, has directed the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to accept the applications of EWS candidates based on the updated criteria. The court also instructed UPSC not to issue appointment orders without seeking prior approval.
The bench scheduled a further hearing on the matter for Tuesday, seeking UPSC’s response regarding the extension of the application deadline. In the meantime, EWS candidates are now allowed to submit their forms in line with the new age and attempts guidelines.
The upcoming UPSC CSE 2025 will see 979 vacancies, with the preliminary examination set for May 25, 2025. The High Court’s intervention marks a major milestone in providing a fairer and more equitable platform for all candidates, irrespective of their economic background.
