SC grants relief to 8 civil services aspirants, asks UPSC to issue admit cards for mains exam
New Delhi (PTI): The Supreme Court on Wednesday came to the rescue of eight civil services aspirants by directing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) to issue admit cards to them for the mains examination scheduled on September 15.
The top court, however, made it clear that the interim relief permitting the aspirants to take up the mains examination will be subject to the final outcome of their petition.
A bench of Justices AS Bopanna and Prashant Kumar Mishra, which was hearing two separate petitions, granted the interim relief to the eight aspirants, who were denied admit cards by the UPSC on the grounds of non-submissions of provisional certificates supporting their qualification and improper certificate for availing EWS quota benefits.
While dealing with the first petition in which provisional certificates were not submitted, the bench said that in view of the fact that the Civil Services Mains Exam is scheduled to be held on September 15, the interest of the petitioners will be affected if they are not allowed to appear for the test.
"Making it subject to the final result of this petition, we direct the respondent (UPSC) to issue the necessary admission ticket to appear for the exam," the bench ordered and allowed Haryana residents Deepanshu and Sushil Kumar to appear in the examination.
Similarly, in the second petition, where the aspirants were denied admit cards by the UPSC owing to an error in their certificate specifying their Economically Weaker Section (EWS) status, the bench asked UPSC to grant admit cards to six aspirants.
During the hearing, advocate Gaurav Agrawal, who argued on behalf of both sets of aspirants said that in the case of Deepanshu and Kumar, there was delay in furnishing the certificate as academic session was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"As a result they could not submit their certificates in time to the UPSC," he said, adding that the results of their final year examination of their graduation course were declared by their respective universities after the cut-off date July 19, 2023, fixed by the UPSC.
Agrawal said that in the second set of aspirants, the UPSC pointed out that there were minor errors such as overwriting in their EWS certificate and hence, denied them the admit card for the mains examination. The issue happened due to mistake committed by tehsildar, the advocate said.
"The error was however rectified by these aspirants," he said but the candidature of these aspirants were cancelled by the UPSC.
Both sets of aspirants have cleared the prelims examination. They approached the top court as they could have lost an attempt for clearing the civil service examination, Agrawal told the bench.
He added that according to rules, whether a candidate appears for the mains examination or not, his attempt is counted.
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Let there be no light: Sombre shadow over Gateway of India as boat tragedy 'sinks' in
Mumbai (PTI): Tourist boats docked in the Arabian Sea at the Gateway of India, a popular attraction in south Mumbai, usually remain brightly illuminated until late in the night.
However, they were not lit up on Wednesday night, reflecting the somber mood that prevailed after a boat tragedy off the Mumbai coast in which 13 persons, including Navy personnel, lost their lives. Ninety nine passengers were rescued from the boat.
The tragedy unfolded in the evening after a speeding Navy craft crashed into a ferry carrying passengers from the Gateway of India to Elephanta Island, a popular tourist destination around 45 minutes away.
The iconic British-era monument attracts large crowds of tourists from all parts of the country and even the world.
Winters, when Mumbai weather is pleasant, attract even larger crowds at the seafront landmark which recently completed 100 years. Many of them go for boat rides, while some visit Elephanta, a collection of ancient caves located on the Gharapuri island.
Following the tragedy near a jetty off the Butcher island, police stopped tourists entry at the Gateway of India and suspended boat services, docking them at their designated spots. However, the Mumbai-Alibaug boat services, remained operational till the evening.
A musical event of a private financial institution was going on at the Gateway of India even as anxious relatives of the missing persons waited outside the police post to know updates about their near and dear ones.
Offices of tourist boat operators, teeming with people on normal days, were closed. These included the office of the operators whose boat had capsized following the crash. Tourists looked disappointed as the entry was restricted for them.
Police have heightened security in the area and ambulances were seen parked at the Gateway of India. The crash cast a somber shadow over the landmark's vicinity.
Khalashis (assistants) and boat drivers were seen discussing the incident or going about their routine tasks such as preparing food and fetching fresh water in their boats.
