COVID-19 batch UPSC aspirants meet MP Supriya Sule, reiterate demand for compensatory CSE attempt

Aspirants who were supposed to appear for the CSE in 2020-21 have been claiming that they missed appearing for the exam due to disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic
Supriya Sule with the aspirants.
Supriya Sule with the aspirants. Pic: @supriya_sule on X
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Today, February 4, a delegation of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants from the COVID-19 batch met Member of Parliament (MP) & Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Working President Supriya Sule, and presented their long-standing demand for a compensatory attempt in the Civil Service Examination (CSE).

In response, the NCP leader took to her X account and requested Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, to provide these aspirants an appointment with him to present their grievances.

To recall, aspirants who were supposed to appear for the CSE in 2020-21 have been claiming that they missed appearing for the exam due to disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, as several of them were either infected by the virus or weren’t able to do their best due to their loved ones being infected.

Many of them were approaching or even crossed the maximum age limit of 32 years, having lost one year and running out of the number of attempts they were permitted.

Despite the 112th Standing Committee of the Parliament recommending the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to announce a compensatory attempt, both the Supreme Court of India and the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions quashed the idea, claiming it “not feasible” to introduce an extra attempt in 2022.

Speaking to EdexLive, one of the aspirants who met Sule alleged that their demands and representations so far have not even reached the office of Dr Jitendra Singh. “It feels like there is a wide disconnect between the minister, the bureaucrats and us,” he claimed, speaking on the condition of anonymity.

He said that the aspirants met several political leaders, all of whom assured to bring their grievances to the government. “Former Prime Minister of India H Deve Gowda even wrote to the Prime Minister on January 26 this year, detailing our concerns,” he added.

The aspirant claimed that their delegation even met Senior NCP leader Sharad Pawar today, February 4, who assured that he would speak to the Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to help them get an appointment with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking of the effect this ordeal had on aspirants, he said that they were all left stressed, and are suffering from mental breakdowns. “Even though the Parliamentary Committee has supported our cause, there has been no clarity or positive response from the government,” he lamented.

Adding to this, Krishna Sumanth, another aspirant said that their prospects are being affected by factors out of their control, like the COVID-19 pandemic.

“When other exams, like the Constable GD (General Duty) recruitment exam, Railway Recruitment Board (RRB) exam, and even school examinations had a compensatory attempt, I don’t understand why the same could not be done for UPSC,” he said.

To recall, Sumanth recently finished a 2,500 km cycle rally from Chennai to Delhi to shed light on the COVID-19 batch’s demands and ask for a fair chance.

When asked about their next course of action, the aspirants expressed their lack of enthusiasm for staging dharnas. “We have decided to continue issuing appeals to the government, as we fear the repercussions of protesting,” the aspirant told EdexLive.

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