With the imposition of the nationwide lockdown since 22nd March, 2020, to counter COVID-19, not just people but many organizations are facing trying times. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is no exception in this regard. It is not easy to conduct mega competitive examinations in a vast country like India, that too with so many unforeseen factors confronting us. UPSC took notice of the situation and had decided not to conduct examinations on the original dates. It just released the revised schedule of all examinations with the respective dates for the year 2020. The notice has been uploaded on their official website http://www.upsc.gov.in .
UPSC conducts many important competitive examinations, some of which are enumerated below. An examination like the Civil Services Examination, are conducted in three stages— prelims, mains and interview. The commission announced that at least 796 vacancies are to be filled through the Civil Services examination this time.
The revised schedule of the examinations in 2020 is the following:
| Examinations | Dates |
| N.D.A & N.A. | 06/09/2020 |
| Civil Services(Preliminary) Indian Forest Services(Preliminary) through CS(P) | 04/10/2020 |
| I.E.S./ I.S.S. | 16/10/2020 |
| Combined Geo-Scientist(Main) | 08/08/2020 |
| Engineering Services(Main) | 09/08/2020 |
| Combined Medical Services | 22/10/2020 |
| Central Armed Police Forces(ACs) | 20/12/2020 |
| Civil Services(Main) | 08/01/2021 |
| C.D.S. (II) | 08/11/2020 |
| Indian Forest Service(Main) | 28/02/2021 |
| S.O./ Steno(GD-B/GD-I) | 12/12/2020 |
| Reserved for UPS RT | 20/12/2020 |
UPSC has also notified that the candidates can download the e-admit cards from the official website, which will be issued one week before the respective examinations. Every year over seven lakh candidates register for one of India’s most prestigious examinations, the Civil Services Prelims. Ten lakh candidates have registered in the 2020 batch.
In another important development the National Defence Academy and Naval Academy entrance examinations, which are usually held in two sessions of examinations in the form of NDA & NA Examination I and NDA & NA Examination II will undergo change. The revised notification announces that there will be one common entrance examination this year instead of the usual two. The examination will be held on 6th September, 2020.
The Combined Medical Services Examination will be held on October 22, 2020. The revised date for the Central Armed Police Forces (ACs) Examination is 20th December. Indian Statistical Service Examination will be held on 16th October this year.
The commission is yet to release the final date notifications regarding some more examinations. It can be assumed the dates for these examinations will be announced subsequently.
The Personality Tests for the Civil Services Examination (Mains), 2019, was being conducted before the lockdown. It has also been announced that the remaining candidates will be called from 20th July, 2020.
The pandemic came unannounced. It is only natural that in the post-COVID times the decisions of public organizations of such importance should be taken with due care and not in haste. UPSC has an impeccable credential in public mind till now. It thus lives upto its reputation in deliberating and taking time on revising the dates of so many important examinations, which involve the physical safety and security of lakhs of candidates and those administering the examinations in various capacities.
Eduindex 