Apex court notice on lawsuit against UPSC provision

The Supreme Court sought the union government's stand on a lawsuit that challenges the UPSC provision allowing only four chances to general category candidates to appear for the civil services examination, while giving more chances to Dalit and backward category candidates.

The Supreme Court on Monday sought the union government's stand on a lawsuit that challenges the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC) provision allowing only four chances to general category candidates to appear for the civil services examination, while giving more chances to Dalit and backward category candidates.

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A bench of Justice Altmas Kabir and Justice Cyriac Joseph issued notices to the union government and the UPSC on a lawsuit by a general category civil service aspirant Aditya Kumar, challenging a recent Delhi High Court ruling, which upheld the provision allowing more chances to Dalit and backward category candidates.

The government and the UPSC were asked to file their replies within a month.

In his lawsuit, Kumar asserted that there is no legal rationale to allow backward category students to take the examination for as many as seven times up to the age of 33, while allowing general category students only four attempts till the age of 28.

Kumar also contended that there is no legal rationale to allow Dalit category students to attempt the examination for unlimited chances till the age of 35.

Kumar pointed out that even general category students taking the Indian Engineering Service Examination, the Indian Medical Service Examination, Indian Statistical Service Examination, conducted by the UPSC, are allowed to take as many chances as they want between the ages 21 and 30 or 35.