A decision regarding deferring of exam was taken during a meeting held by UPSC (Representational)
The civil services preliminary examination under the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) that was to be held on May 31 has been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the pan-India lockdown.
The UPSC said it will monitor the lockdown situation and will decide on a day on May 20. Only then the UPSC will give the fresh dates for the exams and announce on its website.
The civil services exams are held in three stages - prelims, main and interview - by the UPSC to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.
Lakhs of candidates appear for the UPSC exam every year. For the 2020 exam, 796 vacancies were announced by the UPSC.
The move to postpone the exam came after the UPSC held a meeting on Monday to review the lockdown, which has been extended twice.
"Taking notice of the extension of restrictions, the commission decided that it will not be possible to resume examinations and interview in the present," the UPSC said.
The civil services (preliminary) examination 2020, scheduled to be held on May 31, therefore, stands deferred, it said.
"Since this examination also serves as the screening test for the Indian Forest Service Examination, the schedule for the Indian Forest Service Examination is also deferred," the communique said.
"As and when dates are decided for the deferred tests/examinations, it will be ensured that candidates are given a notice of at least 30 days," the UPSC said.
The UPSC has already deferred personality test for remaining candidates for the civil services examination, 2019; notification for the Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service examination, 2020; notification for the Combined Medical Services Examination, 2020; Notification for the Central Armed Police Forces Examination, 2020 and the NDA and Naval Academy Examination, 2020.