New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Central government to consider a petition by UPSC Civil Services aspirants seeking an extra attempt in the mains examination as they could not appear due to contracting the coronavirus.
The bench led by Justice AM Khamwilkar disposed of the plea which had come for hearing before the Court after it was informed that a Parliamentary committee has given a report recommending the government to change its stand and allow the relaxation that aspirants are seeking.
"In light of the recommendation, we dispose of the petition and application with the direction to appropriate authority to examine the representation within a period of 2 weeks. Having regard to the discretion bestowed in the authority under the regulation, let the authority take a decision," ordered the court.
Court had been hearing the matter for the past few days and it had sought the Centre and UPSC's response over the plea. The Centre had refused to give any relaxation as it would open the doors for various categories of candidates who could not give exams under different circumstances. It had cited earlier judgments of the court on the same issue wherein the court had refused to allow any relaxation.
UPSC had submitted that all Covid protocols were followed and there was a separate arrangement instructed to be made for Covid infected candidates. ASG Aishwarya Bhati submitted that Covid is now like any other ailment, it's the third year of Covid and the country is in a much better place to handle it.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankarnaryana arguing on behalf of the candidates submitted that it was the government that had said that people infected should sit at home and not spread infection, so that's what the candidates did. They could have kept quiet about it and not let anybody know and appear in the exam but they followed the government's regulations and now they should also be considered. He submitted that the number of such candidates would be very less, there are RT-PCR tests that should be allowed in granting relaxation.
The court said that now that the Parliamentary committee report has come and that should be considered by the Centre in making a decision.
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