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Losing an attempt due to UPSC's month of reckoning of age- Seek assistance and a way forward

Hi. 

I am starting this thread to inquire about a way forward for people who are born between January to July 1988 and thus would effectively lose an attempt as the month of reckoning of age is August. I feel this is highly discriminatory as the prelims will happen in May this year and it makes no sense to calculate age of a candidate from August. There was a similar thread on discuss.forumias. Now, as discuss is defunct, I was not able to revive the thread there. 

I could not clear mains this year (I had hoped I would clear), and I seek one last shot to correct the mistakes done in this year's attempt. I dont seek additional attempts (as I have attempts left) plus I wont hit the upper age limit (for general) in May (when the prelims will take place). My sole purpose of creating this thread is to:-

1) Seek an effective way forward.

2) Look for other candidates who might be in a similar position as mine to brainstorm further actions (moving on, pleading to appropriate authorities, petition etc)

3) If someone has already filed a petition for this before, what was the outcome

4) As I have no background in law, I wanted to understand the legal processes and ramifications if I indeed go ahead with filing a petition. 

In a previous thread (on discuss), someone had posted an OM dated July 1988 where they had mentioned a logic behind the calculation of age. I believe this cut off date (1st of august) was changed for exams such as the IES (from august to january) in 2012 and moreover, I believe logic behind such dates is purely administrative that can be amended easily without much troubles. Further, for most exams (that are multi staged) the reckoning of age takes place from the month the notification comes out, or from the month when the prelims of the exam takes place (SSC, RBI etc).

I hope someone can throw some light on this and show me a way forward. 

Thanks 


root,Neyawnand4 otherslike this
11.2k views

13 comments

No one has faced/is facing this issue? 

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.8k views

Hello@Forseti People may be facing this issue, but it is highly unlikely that a student demand may lead to change of policy by the Government.

When it comes to UPSC, being a Constitutional body, it does not listen to anyone and goes on litigation against any decision that goes against its established ways of working. It has not even given heed to SC directives, and gone for further review and litigation in the past.

Justice, when done, will be do delayed that it shall become infructuose.

So that is with the old crowd people. 

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.6k views
@root Hello

This is not a policy of the government, rather an order issued by DoPT dated July 1988 which has already been changed for exams such as IES in 2012.  Age limit set to 32 years and attempts set to 6 is a policy of the government and I am not questioning it at all. 

Secondly , this doesn't concern UPSC at all. UPSC has been tasked to function purely as an examination conducting body that recommends candidates to the government for posts notified by the latter. I am neither questioning nor challenging the process of a constitutional body. If you are referring to the EWS litigation that happened, I must inform you that the litigants challenged the dates set by UPSC i.e. 31st of July, and not by DoPT. I do not seek to do that. 

I had a word with some officials of UPSC. Apparently, they just follow the orders of DoPT regarding such matters i.e.  number of posts (railways posts redacted by DoPT recently), date of reckoning of age, etc. 
Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.8k views

Update:-Few aggrieved aspirants have contacted me. I hope more would come out. We can brainstorm and maybe decide upon a way forward and some possible solutions to address this issue. 

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.8k views

Forsetisaid

Update:-Few aggrieved aspirants have contacted me. I hope more would come out. We can brainstorm and maybe decide upon a way forward and some possible solutions to address this issue. 

Well that is some good news. Please keep pushing update here as it is a more open platform and you can get more people from here join the movement.


p.s spamming with any links including telegram will not be allowed.

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.6k views

UPSC Notification was published today i.e. 12th Of February. The date of reckoning of age is 2nd of August, while the prelims is on the 31st of May. In this imbroglio of numbers and dates, several candidates will lose attempt(s) even while having valid attempts left. If someone cares about this issue, kindly come forward.


PS:- This time it is Jan-July88, next year it shall be Jan-July 89 and so on. On paper atleast, this seems highly arbitrary. 

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.8k views

One final call....

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
7.8k views

      The point that u have raised was my problem too. Because Preliminary exam hails on May but taking age Criterion as August 01 st the month doesn't make any sense. Taking May the month of Preliminary exam or Taking January 01 st is relevant. Amending this issue may give joy to most of the aspirants, for upsc it's not an big issue to change.They must have to look for it. 

       Expecting this change/ amendment in upsc eligibility criteria from year 2023.

Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
6.2k views
@ForsetiAnything after this ?


Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
6.1k views


I am suprised this thread got bumped after 2 long years.

UPSC being a constitutional body, is fully sovereign to regulate its own procedure. As mentioned by the OP, there are 2 OM regarding/regulating this where it is stated that in exams which are conducted in two phases, and where the mains happen in the second half of the year, the age will be reconed from August of that particular year.


Irrational and Unfair- Absolutely. However, it will be extremely difficult to challenge it in a court of law (as the body in question is a constitutional one). Our only hope- if the government itself amends the provisions. 

PS- Unrelated but there is a group who are seriously working hard for extra attempts for years lost due to the pandemic. I guess they are the last hope for anyone who seeks an attempt and is from the pandemic years. 


Mr_rachet_philanthrophist,
6k views
On this issue mostly people are divided, with one group comprising Gen(Non EWS and EWS), and other OBC, SC &ST (who get 3, 5 and unlimited age relaxation). 
4.9k views
Rules for determining critical date ( aug 1 ) is biased and partial. Because, in case of exams happening in 2 phases, critical date would be 1jan if both the phases happens in first half, and critical date would be aug 1 if both the phases of exam happen in 2nd half of the year, however, biasness and partiality is here, ifone phase of exam occur in first half of year and other phase in second half, then rules are biased towards later of the two critical dates that is 1 aug , there by making the candidate who was otherwise eligible at the time of notification, ineligible just cause commision choose to conduct second phale of exam in second half of the year. Moreover, governments apporch should have been to facilitate candidates appearing for such coviated services in a republic rather than baring him/her through clerical jargons
4k views

Did anyone contact UPSC on this issue??


@forseti - Any update on this?? Is there any chance of UPSC changing it for the upcoming 2024 exam?

2.4k views
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