The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has decided to commence interviews for civil services examination 2020, which were deferred due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, from August 2, according to an official statement.

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

It had in April this year deferred interviews for the prestigious examination due to increase in Coronavirus cases. "After reviewing the situation, the Commission has decided to commence the personality test of the civil services examination, 2020 from 02.08.2021," according to the statement issued by the UPSC.

The e-summon letters of personality tests (Interviews) of the candidates will be made available shortly, which may be downloaded from the Commission's website www.upsc.gov.in and www.upsconline.in, it said. "No request for change in the date and time of the personality test (interview) intimated to the candidates will ordinarily be entertained," the Commission said.

On the basis of the results of the civil services (main) examination, 2020 declared by the UPSC on March 23 this year, the Commission decided to commence the personality tests (interviews) of the civil services (main) examination, 2020 from April 26.

"However, due to unprecedented growth in the number of people infected with novel coronavirus (COVID-19) countrywide, as a precautionary measure, the Union Public Service Commission deferred the personality test of the civil services examination 2020, which were scheduled to commence with effect from 26.04.2020," the statement said.