UPSC Aspirants Demand Immediate Action on Unfair Treatment and Unjust Exam Practices

New Delhi, July 10 2023 – A group of determined UPSC aspirants held a press conference today at the Press Club of India in Delhi to address their demands for justice and transparency in the Civil Service Examinations. The press conference was attended by several key individuals, including Sidhartha Mishra, the lead petitioner, Ayushi, Hanumant Lal Patel, Umesh Singh, and lawyers Saket Jain and Umesh Singh.

The speakers expressed their concerns regarding the unfair treatment faced by aspirants from Hindi and vernacular language backgrounds, the need to revise the qualifying criteria for the UPSC-CSE CSAT 2023 examination, and the removal of the CSAT paper from the preliminary examination to ensure equal opportunities for all candidates. They also highlighted the importance of a compensatory attempt for aspirants affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for an expert committee to evaluate the GS Paper.

UPSC aspirants, who have been subjected to unfair treatment in the 2023 Civil Service Examination (CSE) preliminary exam, have come together under the banner of the “Unfair CSAT 2023” telegram group to raise their collective concerns. The community of aspirants demands that their grievances be addressed by the central government within a period of 14 days.

The following are the concerns and demands raised by the aspirant community:

1. Qualifying Criteria for UPSC-CSE CSAT 2023: The aspirant community urges the government to lower the qualifying criteria from 33% to 23%, similar to the reduction made in the UPSC-CDS examination of 2019. Alternatively, they propose the exclusion of the 25 out-of-syllabus questions from the evaluation, similar to the actions taken by UPSC in 2020 and 2021. Lastly, they request a re-conduction of the preliminary examination to rectify the exclusion of deserving candidates.

Legal proceedings: A case has been filed at the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) by the UPSC aspirant community, represented by Sidhartha Mishra and others, against the preliminary examination conducted on May 28, 2023. Although the court declined to put a stay on the prelims result, the matter has been postponed until July 6, 2023. The next hearing at CAT is scheduled for July 13, 2023.
Argument at Central Administrative Tribunal: The aspirants allege that the CSAT paper on May 28, 2023, contained questions that were out of syllabus, specifically in the topic of Permutation & Combination, which is not covered till class X. They also claim that several questions were directly taken from previous years’ IIT and CAT exams. They assert that these factors made it extremely difficult to solve the paper within the stipulated time.

2. Removal of CSAT from UPSC-CSE Preliminary Examination: The aspirant community demands the removal of CSAT from the UPSC-CSE preliminary examination. They argue that the CSAT paper favors candidates with strong mathematical and technical backgrounds, particularly those from IIT and CAT, while eliminating Hindi and vernacular language students. They emphasize that merit at the preliminary stage should be determined by GS Paper 1, not CSAT. This demand aligns with the UPSC-VISION document of 2019.

3. Compensatory Attempt due to COVID-19: In light of the global pandemic, the aspirant community requests a compensatory attempt for all candidates eligible for UPSC-CSE in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023. This demand has been recommended by the Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law, and Justice, as well as supported by more than 100 Members of Parliament from various political parties.

4. Concerns regarding GS Paper 1 of UPSC-CSE 2023: The aspirants raise concerns about the objectivity and specificity of 47 questions out of 100 in GS Paper 1. They argue that these questions lacked clarity, making it difficult to assess whether candidates correctly identified the statements. They call for the constitution of an Expert Committee, including student representation, to evaluate the rapid change in the exam pattern of UPSC-CSE 2023.

5. Change in Age Calculation: The aspirant community requests a change in the calculation of a candidate’s age for UPSC-CSE, shifting it from August 1 to January 1 of the year of application. They believe the current age calculation discriminates against candidates born between January 1 and July 31, who are at a disadvantage due to the timing of the preliminary exam.

6. Concerns about Lateral Entry Scheme: The community opposes the lateral entry scheme, stating that it promotes the privatization and contractualization of civil services, compromising social justice aspects associated with these posts. They argue that this scheme favors candidates from privileged backgrounds and undermines the opportunities for aspirants from vernacular mediums. They emphasize the importance of maintaining the permanent nature of civil services and filling vacancies through direct recruitment to ensure representation and diversity.

The aspirant community provides a 14-day window for the government to address these concerns and promote justice. They express their dissatisfaction and urge quick resolution of the issues faced by lakhs of aspirants. The community believes that the injustice done to them raises serious questions about the functioning of the constitutional body, UPSC.