Lok Sabha Question No. 3587 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-01-02
Subject: Change of UPSC Exam Pattern
Ministry: PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS
Asked by: Shrirang Appa Barne

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS (DEPARTMENT OF PERSONNEL AND TRAINING)

## LOK  SABHA

UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3587 (TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.01.2019)

## CHANGE OF UPSC EXAM PATTERN

## 3587. SHRI SHRIRANG APPA BARNE:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  any  changes  in  evaluation  and/or  pattern  of  examination  were  introduced  by UPSC in civil  service  examination  and  preliminary  stage  and  main  examination  since 2010  till  2015  and  if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  how  many  days  before  the  date  of examination such changes and revision were notified;
- (b) whether  there  is  any  Government  policy  to  notify  students  regarding  any  changes  in methods  of  evaluation  and/or  change  in  pattern  of  civil  service  examination  so  that aspirants get adequate time to strategize their preparation without any inconvenience, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the basis of making CSAT qualifying in the years 2015 and the rationale, suggestions and recommendations of the Committees set up in this regard;
- (d) whether two additional attempts with two years age relaxation were granted to candidates of Civil Service Examination in the year 2014 and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e) whether these attempts were provided to only those candidates who were affected due to pattern change  in examination 2011-14  or were the attempts for all candidates irrespective of their year of appearance in the exam and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND MINISTER OF STATE IN THE PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) to (e):   The scheme of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination was revised with effect from Civil  Services  Examination  (CSE),  2011  on  the  recommendations  of  Prof.  S.K.  Khanna Committee with the notification of Civil Services Examination Rules, 2011 by the Government. The  earlier  objective  type  paper  of  optional  Subject  (in  Preliminary  stage)  was  discontinued. Vide these Rules, two papers of objective type of 200 marks each were introduced i.e. General Studies  Paper-I  and  General  Studies  Paper-2.  The  merit  of  Civil  Services  (Preliminary) Examination was prepared on the basis of sum total of marks scored by the candidates in Paper-I and Paper-2. This scheme of Preliminary Examination continued till Civil Services Examination, 2014. However, the English language comprehension as a part of General studies Paper-2 in the scheme of Preliminary Examination was deleted in CSE, 2014.

The Government with the notification of Rules of CSE, 2015 made the Paper-2 of Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination qualifying with minimum marks of 33%.

The scheme of Civil Services (Main) Examination was revised with the Notification of Civil  Services  Examination,  2013  on  consideration  of  the  recommendations  of  Prof.  Arun Nigavekar Committee constituted for the purpose. The list of optional subjects was revised. The Candidates were allowed to choose any one of  the optional  subjects  from  amongst  the  list  of optional subjects given in the Scheme of Civil Services (Main) Examination. Four conventional (subjective) type papers of General Studies of 250 marks each and two papers of one Optional; subject each of 250 marks were introduced. The essay paper had a weightage of 250 marks.

The Government had increased two more attempts with consequential two years increase in  the  permissible  upper  age  limits  with  the  Civil  Services  Examination,  2014.  This  is  still  in existence. The candidates who had appeared in CSE, 2011 and were not eligible in CSE, 2015 either in terms of attaining the maximum age or exhausting the number of attempts were allowed to  appear in CSE, 2015 irrespective of their age and number of attempts taken. Prior to CSE, 2014 maximum number of attempts allowed for a General Category Candidates were four with the maximum age limit as 30 years.

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