Grant extra attempt to civil service aspirants due to pandemic: Stalin

CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide a one-time relaxation and grant an extra attempt to civil service aspirants who had exhausted their last attempt due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Citing the “genuine requests” received from civil service examination aspirants, Stalin, in his demi-official letter to the Prime Minister, on Tuesday said, “Aspirants of various recruitment exams conducted by the Union Government, including the Civil Service Examinations who had exhausted their last attempts due to Covid-19 pandemic, have been requesting for the past two years to extend the age limit for attending the examination as an one-time measure.”

Referring to the Parliament Standing Committee recommendation and advice of the Supreme Court in various cases for taking a lenient view in granting an extra attempt under Regulation 4 of the Indian Administrative Service Regulations, 1955, the Chief Minister said, “I appeal to you to consider this favourably, and do the needful in granting an extra attempt by invoking Regulation 4 of the Indian Administrative Service Regulations, 1955 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Stating that more than 150 Members of Parliament across various parties have supported the cause of the aspirants, the Chief Minister pointed out that In Tamil Nadu, orders have been issued in G.O.Ms.No.91, Human Resources Management (S) Department, dated 13.09.2021, raising the age limit by two years for the aspirants for State Service examinations, taking into account the effects of pandemic.

Drawing the Prime Minister’s attention to the Union Government recently granting relaxation of three Years beyond the respective prescribed upper age limit for all categories of the candidates as a one-time measure for the recruitment of Constable (General Duty) in Central Armed Police Forces Examinations, 2022 conducted by the Staff Selection Commission, the Chief Minister said that it is a one-time relaxation and it would not cause any monetary burden to the exchequer, but at the same time open a huge opportunity to thousands of youth who aspire to join the Civil Service.