The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has postponed the civil services preliminary examination to 10 October, 2021 as the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to have a devastating impact across the country.
The examination was earlier scheduled to be held on 27 June.
The UPSC press note read: "Due to the prevailing conditions caused by the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19), the Union Public Service Commission has deferred the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2021, which was scheduled to be held on 27th June, 2021. Now, this Examination will be held on 10th October, 2021."
The Civil Services exam was also rescheduled from 31 May to 4 October in 2020 amid the health emergency.
The civil services examination is conducted yearly in three stages – preliminary, main and interview – to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), as well as Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.
Several other examinations have also either been postponed or cancelled amid the surge in COVID-19 cases. The CBSE Class 12 Board exams were postponed, and those for Class 10 were cancelled last month.
The National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (Postgraduate) (NEET-PG) had also been postponed.
India is in the throes of a massive second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, which has left its healthcare system crippled and resulted in a massive shortage of hospital beds, oxygen and medicines.
On Thursday, the country reported 3,62,727 new coronavirus cases, taking the tally in the country to 2,37,03,665. The death toll increased by 4,120 to 2,58,317.
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