Duration of the civil service exam cannot be curtailed, says the UPSC , Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The UPSC has informed a parliamentary panel that the one-year duration of the Civil Services Examination (CSE) cannot be reduced.
• The UPSC cited maintaining confidentiality and integrity as key factors in determining the examination schedule.
• In 2023, the preliminary examination was held at 79 centres with 2,538 venues for 10.27 lakh candidates.
• The parliamentary panel recommended a comprehensive re-examination of the civil services recruitment framework.

Detailed Insights:

• The UPSC has optimized the CSE time cycle as much as possible, considering the increase in candidates and examination centers.
• The evaluation of descriptive-type answer scripts takes over two months due to nearly 1.2 lakh answer sheets being evaluated by experts.
• The parliamentary panel urged the Department of Personnel and Training to implement the Baswan Committee’s reforms, which addressed issues like high absenteeism.
• The panel suggested releasing the preliminary exam answer key after the exam to allow candidates to raise objections, but the UPSC releases it after the entire process.
• The UPSC uses a Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep) for candidates to submit feedback on questions.
• The UPSC stated that the current system of disclosing answer keys after the final result works well and doesn't require change.
• The matter of answer keys is currently sub judice in the Supreme Court.

Key Concepts Involved:

• UPSC (Union Public Service Commission): India's central agency responsible for conducting civil services examinations.
• Civil Services Examination (CSE): A competitive exam for recruitment to various civil services of the Government of India.
• Baswan Committee: An expert panel formed to review issues related to the Civil Services Examination.