It is UPSC exam time again and the focus is on prohibiting electronic devices that may be brought by the candidates to help them cheat. In the recent past, JEE and NEET candidates have been caught wearing devices as ingenious as bluetooth footwear and wrapping of electronic devices in carbon paper to evade getting caught during the screening process. The efforts would be to root out such nefarious means to write the exam which is considered among the most prestigious in the whole country.

The preliminary phase of the civil services exam 2021 will be conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on October 10. The exam was in fact supposed to be conducted on June 27 but got postponed due to the second wave of COVID-19.

“The use of any mobile phone (even in switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc. or camera or bluetooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories either in working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication device during the examination is strictly prohibited,” the UPSC has said.

On carrying the banned items to the exam venue, the Commission has said, “Candidates are advised in their own interest not to bring any of the banned items including mobile phones/pagers to the venue of the examination, as arrangement for safe-keeping cannot be assured.” The UPSC has also advised candidates to not carry any valuable or costly items to the exam centre.

The exam is the first among the three-phase selection process to select people to 712 vacant spots in the IAS, IPS, IFS and other civil service positions in the nation.