Candidates who appeared in 2011 to get another chance; aspirants want scrapping
The Government on Monday tried to defuse the escalating row over the UPSC-conducted CSAT for all-India civil services by excluding gradation of English from the merit list and giving another attempt to those who had exhausted their chances when the new format was introduced in 2011.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed Parliament that English marks in CSAT- paper II would not be included for gradation or merit and candidates who exhausted their attempts in 2011, when the new format was introduced, would get a second chance to appear for the test in 2015 CSAT.
“The Government is of the opinion that in the Civil Services Preliminary examination, Paper-II, the marks of the question section on ‘English language comprehension skills’ should not be included for gradation or merit. Further, candidates, who appeared in Civil Services Examination 2011, may be given one more attempt in 2015,” Singh said in a brief statement made in both Houses of Parliament.
The move means that the marks to qualify the prelims exams will be calculated sans the marks (roughly 22) allotted to eight or nine questions on English comprehension. The civil services preliminary examination will now be held as scheduled for August 24.
Not satisfied with the “cosmetic” changes announced by the Government, the agitating civil services aspirants vowed to continue their fight for “complete scrapping” of the CSAT paper and decided to shift their agitation to Jantar Mantar.
While the students have been agitating over the new format, Parliament too has witnessed repeated uproars and several adjournments in the past few days over the issue.
Immediately after the statement by Singh in the Rajya Sabha, BJD member B Mahtab and SP’s Dharmendra Yadav stood up demanding a clarification whether CSAT had been done away with.
Singh stood up to say that he had said whatever he wanted to. This further infuriated the members. AIADMK and other Opposition parties sought to know if the civil service aspirants would be able to write the examination in native languages. Trouble broke out over Singh’s remark that: “We have made it language-neutral. What is the confusionIJ”
Singh’s statement could not pacify agitating members from the Congress, CPI, DMK, Trinamool and AIADMK. They kept on demanding clarifications and wanted to know what Singh meant by “language-neutral.” Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien ruled that there cannot be any discussion on the statement.
However, this did not satisfy the members and amid din Kurien briefly adjourned the House. When it reassembled, leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Minister’s use of the phrase ‘language-neutral’ has further complicated the entire thing. To this, Singh said he meant that the Government had “removed the bias”.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu also intervened saying the sensitive matter involves a few lakh aspirants and a solution has been reached at in consultation with various stakeholders, including the students.
As the din continued, Kurien adjourned the House to reassemble at 5 pm which was again adjourned for the day following an uproar and AIADMK members trooping into the Well of the House.
Not satisfied
The move means that the marks to qualify the prelims exams will be calculated sans the marks (roughly 22) allotted to eight or nine questions on English comprehension
The civil services preliminary examination will now be held as scheduled for August 24
Not satisfied with the “cosmetic” changes announced by the Government, the agitating civil services aspirants vowed to continue their fight for “complete scrapping” of the CSAT paper and decided to shift their agitation to Jantar Mantar
Immediately after the statement by Singh in the Rajya Sabha, BJD member B Mahtab and
SP’s Dharmendra Yadav stood up demanding a clarification whether CSAT had been done away with
AIADMK and other Opposition parties sought to know if the civil service aspirants would be able to write the examination in native languages
Trouble broke out over Singh’s remark that: “We have made it language-neutral. What is the confusionIJ”