The Centre on Friday informed the Supreme Court that Union Public Service Commission aspirants, who appeared for their last attempt of the exam in October, will be give a “one-time, restricted relaxation”, reported Bar and Bench.

“Relaxation, only to the extent of providing one extra attempt for Civil Service Examination, specifically limited to CSE-2021, may be granted to only those candidates who appeared for CSE-2020 as their last permissible attempt and are otherwise not age-barred from appearing in CSE-2021,” the Centre’s affidavit said. The government added that no such relaxation will be allowed for CSE-2021 to those who have not exhausted their attempts or the aspirants who are barred from appearing in the exam according to the prescribed age limits in different categories.

The UPSC restricts the number of attempts to six for a general category candidate to appear in the civil service exam, and the age limit is 32. Aspirants belonging to Other Backward Classes can take the test nine times till the age of 35. Scheduled Caste candidates can also appear for the test nine times, but their age limit is 37.

Additional Solicitor General SV Raju submitted to the Justice AM Khanwilkar-led Supreme Court bench that the extra chance would not be treated as a precedent thus preventing “any vested right” in favour of candidates in the future, reported Live Law.

The plea had contended that the candidates, for whom it was the last attempt, had failed to appear for UPSC CSE Prelims 2020 due to the coronavirus crisis. The petitioners had, therefore, sought an extra attempt. The Centre had earlier filed an affidavit against this plea.