UPSC Aspirants Asked To Follow The Old Pattern, Need Not Appear For Two Additional Papers

The panel set up by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to look into the demands of reintroducing the additional papers in the Civil Services Examination for candidates aspiring to join the IAS and the IFS, has decided to reject the request of these subjects.

As per reports, the aspirants have put forward their demands to UPSC, asking them to either hold a separate exam for both the services or give a chance to write an additional paper.

The panel set up last year for another overhaul of the examination, headed by former education secretary BS Baswan, is asked to submit its report by mid-August. Also, the commission has asked the panel to give recommendations for the recruitment of candidates for 24 diverse services ranging from the IAS to the Indian Railway Personnel Service.

A senior government official said that the committee has not found any valid reason to make candidates write extra papers for the IAS.

Over four lakh graduates appear for the examination every year, however the success ratio accounts at less than 20 per cent. Having IAS as their first choice, the top 1,000 candidates who clear the three-stage examination are recruited to any of the 24 civil services depending on their performance. However, only 180 aspirants manage to get it.

The remaining candidates select services such as the Indian Police Service, the Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax), the Indian Information Service and the Indian Audit and Accounts Service.

IAS and IFS aspirants had to write three optional papers and then, two more additional papers from 1951 to 1979. The syllabus for the optional papers include questions from graduation level, whereas the two additional papers include postgraduate level questions

On the recommendations of the DS Kothari committee and demands by aspirants across the nation, this pattern of examination was changed in 1979.

Last year also, the IAS and IFS had a loud protest and supported the proposal to reintroduce the additional papers that would set them apart from other civil services.

The Seventh Central Pay Commission recommended parity between IAS and non-IAS officers but the government rejected the recommendations.