UPSC Mains 2021 Will Not Be Postponed Due to COVID Cases: Delhi HC Dismisses Plea

UPSC Mains 2021 Latest News: In a major development, the Delhi High Court on Thursday dismissed plea of several candidates seeking direction to postpone the schedule of Civil Services (Mains) Examination 2021 till the COVID-19 situation normalises.Also Read – Are At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits Really Effective?

The move from the High Court comes a day after the UPSC said that the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 will be conducted as per schedule from Friday. Also Read – ‘Matter Of Concern’: Centre Asks States, UTs to Ramp Up COVID Testing Amid Omicron Cases

Delhi High Court dismisses plea of several candidates seeking direction to postpone the schedule of Civil Services (Mains) Examination 2021 till the COVID-19 situation normalises.

— ANI (@ANI) January 6, 2022

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Keeping in view the restrictions being imposed by governments to curb the spread of COVID-19, the commission has urged the states to ensure that no inconvenience is caused to the candidates and examination functionaries in their movement, especially those who are coming from the containment and micro-containment zones.

The UPSC further added that if necessary, the e-admit cards of the candidates and the identity cards of the examination functionaries are to be used as movement passes.

“After carefully reviewing the situation prevailing due to COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission has decided to conduct the Civil Services (Main) Examination, 2021 as per schedule i.e. on 7th, 8th, 9th, 15th and 16th January, 2022,” it said in a statement.

The candidates earlier demanded postponement of UPSC Mains 2021 in view of the COVID pandemic and they took to Twitter to express their resentment over the matter.

Earlier in the day, the Union Public Service Commission opposed the petition in Delhi High Court seeking direction to postpone the schedule of Civil Services (Mains) Examination 2021 till the COVID-19 situation is normalised and stated that candidates can follow basic protocols like wearing double masks to prevent themselves from infection.

However, the bench of Justice V Kameshwar Rao took note of the submission of UPSC and petitioners and said the bench will take up the matter in detail at 3 PM.

The candidates in their plea have raised concerns over their safety in the COVID pandemic time.

The matter regarding the postponement of the UPSC Mains 2021 was heard by Justice V Kameswar Rao. A plea was  filed in Delhi High Court by candidates who had cleared the UPSC Civil Services Prelims 2021 and are now eligible to prepare for the Mains exam. In the plea, the candidates argued that the civil services examination should be postponed due to the surge in COVID cases, particularly the Omicron variant.

The UPSC on Wednesday released a notice stating that the examination would not be postponed. As per the schedule, the UPSC Mains will be held on January 7, 8, 9, 15 and 16.

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

The states have further been requested to make public transport operational to the optimum level, at least a day before the exam starts till it concludes — from January 6 to January 9 and from January 14 to January 16 — in order to ensure a smooth movement of the candidates and examination functionaries.