UPSC’s decision to make CSAT (Civil Services Aptitude Test) a qualifying paper for the Civil Services Exams has received a mixed response from the students’ community.
While the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) has cheered the move, some civil services aspirants have expressed disappointment.
Just two days back, ABVP had protested in front of the UPSC headquarters in Delhi demanding that CSAT be either scrapped or made qualifying in nature. The Government has finally announced an expert committee to look into the various issues being raised from time to time regarding the Civil Services Examinations.
“Students preparing for Civil Services had been demanding that CSAT should either be scrapped or made qualifying in nature so that students from rural background or those pursuing Indian languages and non-technical backgrounds get an equal platform. Today, it is a historic win for the students’ movement,” Saket Bahuguna, Delhi State Secretary, ABVP said.
Till the time the Government takes a final decision on the recommendations of the committee, the paper 2 of the Preliminary examination (the Civil Services Aptitude Test, CSAT) has been made qualifying, which means that every student will be required to score a minimum 33 per cent marks in this paper and its marks will not be added to the final results of the preliminary examination. This change will be effective from CSE 2015 itself. Some civil services aspirants seemed disappointed.
Vikas Kumar, a student leader from Bihar preparing for his Civil Services Exams said: “We have been fighting for a level playing field for almost two years now… Today, a Government decision has shocked students that the CSAT paper was retained because UPSC’s own report for CSAT evaluation has found fault with the purpose of this paper. Overall, we are disappointed because we wanted this paper to be scrapped.”
Change will be effective from Civil Services Examination 2015
