Supreme Court rejects extra attempts request for Civil Services Exam 2021 amid pandemic

The Supreme Court dismissed the petition seeking an additional attempt in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Court held that the existing rules provided adequate opportunities for candidates and that granting further attempts or age relaxations would contravene the established framework. The Court emphasized that its decision does not prevent the executive from using discretion in future cases.

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Issues Involved:
1. Request for an additional attempt in the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2021 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
2. Alleged violation of Articles 14, 19, 29, and 21 of the Constitution of India.
3. Discrimination against candidates who exhausted their attempts or crossed the age limit.
4. Judicial review of policy decisions and the scope of mandamus.

Detailed Analysis:

1. Request for an Additional Attempt in CSE 2021:
The petitioners sought an additional attempt at the CSE 2021 due to the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, which they claimed disrupted their preparation for the CSE 2020. The Supreme Court noted that the Civil Services Examination rules (Rules 2020) provide a complete code for eligibility, including the number of attempts and age limits. The Court acknowledged the disruption caused by the pandemic but emphasized that the examination schedule was adjusted, providing candidates with additional preparation time from May to October 2020.

2. Alleged Violation of Constitutional Rights:
The petitioners argued that the denial of an additional attempt violated their rights under Articles 14 (Equality before the law), 19 (Protection of certain rights regarding freedom of speech, etc.), 29 (Protection of interests of minorities), and 21 (Protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution. The Court found that the existing rules provided adequate opportunities for candidates, including age relaxations for reserved categories. The Court held that the petitioners' claims lacked legal strength and foundation, as the rules did not permit any discretion to grant additional attempts or age relaxation for general category candidates.

3. Discrimination Against Certain Candidates:
The petitioners claimed discrimination as the government's decision on February 5, 2021, allowed an additional attempt only for candidates who appeared for CSE 2020 as their last permissible attempt and were not age-barred for CSE 2021. The Court agreed that this decision could be seen as discriminatory since all candidates faced similar challenges due to the pandemic. However, the Court emphasized that the rules did not permit relaxation in attempts or age limits, and granting such relaxation would contravene the established rules.

4. Judicial Review of Policy Decisions:
The Supreme Court reiterated that judicial review of policy decisions is limited to cases where the policy is capricious, arbitrary, or not informed by reason. The Court cited *Union of India and Others Vs. M. Selvakumar and Another*, stating that it is not within the Court's domain to dictate policy decisions unless they violate fundamental rights. The Court found no basis to mandate the government to grant an additional attempt, as the petitioners' situation did not warrant such intervention.

Conclusion:
The Supreme Court dismissed the petition, holding that the petitioners were not entitled to an additional attempt in CSE 2021. The Court emphasized that the rules provided sufficient opportunities and that any relaxation not permitted by the rules would be discriminatory and contravene the established examination framework. The Court also clarified that its decision does not preclude the executive from exercising discretion in future cases if necessary.

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