The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday informed the Supreme Court that the Civil Services (Preliminary) examinations, scheduled on October 4, cannot be postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by UPSC aspirants who sought the postponement of the preliminary examination due to COVID-19.

A Bench comprising Justices AM Khanwilkar, BR Gavai and Krishna Murari asked the Union Public Service Commission counsel to file an affidavit by Tuesday. The UPSC counsel objected to the plea for the deferment of the exams, as it would upset the schedule of the exams. The counsel also said that it would hurt the process of recruitment.

The plea, filed by Vasireddy Govardhana Sai Prakash and others through advocate Alakh Alok Srivastava, sought that the Civil Services exam should be postponed for two to three months, as COVID-19 cases have been peaking currently and the curve may flatten in this time period. The petitioners also cited incessant rains disrupting daily life in many parts of the country.

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In an earlier hearing on the matter, the top court had said, “Liberty is granted to serve advance copy on the Standing Counsel for the Union Public Service Commission as well as on the Standing Counsel for the Central Agency representing Union of India through email/online.”

The plea contended that the exam, being a recruitment examination, is altogether different from an academic examination and thus in the event of its postponement, there would not be any question of delay or loss of any academic session.

“In the instant case, about 6 lakh aspirants are likely to appear in the captioned Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, which is a seven hours offline examination, in very few centres at 72 cities across India. Meanwhile, COVID-19 cases are increasing in India at an alarming rate of more than 80,000 cases per day,” said the plea.

The plea argued that the worst affected by the conducting the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2020, on October 4, will be the students belonging to the middle class or lower middle class.

“The privileged may still appear in these exams, without worrying about transport, accommodation or other expenses. However, the under-privileged students will be forced to suffer utmost injustice and deprivations,” the petitioners contended.

Around six lakh aspirants are expected to appear for the preliminary examination which will be held at test centres across 72 cities in India.The exam which was initially scheduled to be held on May 31, was postponed to October 4 due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.