The Centre Friday told the Supreme Court that it was not in favour of granting one extra opportunity to those civil services aspirants who could not appear in their last attempt in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

A bench headed by Justice AM Khanwilkar took note of the submissions of Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing on behalf of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT).

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“We are not ready to give one more chance. Give me the time to file an affidavit... last night I received instruction that we are not agreeable,” Raju told the Bench, which also comprised Justices BR Gavai and Krishna Murai.

The Bench has now posted the plea of a civil services aspirant Rachna Singh for hearing on January 25 and asked the Centre to file an affidavit during the period and serve it to the parties.

Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the Bench that the government was considering the issue of granting one more opportunity to those civil services aspirants who could not appear in their last attempt to crack the UPSC exam.

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SC had directed the Centre and the UPSC to consider granting an extra chance to candidates who otherwise have their last attempt in 2020, with corresponding extension of the upper age-limit.

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