Know more about new UPSC member Dr TCA Anant

Dr TCA Anant, former chief statistician of India and ex-secretary in the ministry of statistics and programme implementation, took the oath as Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in New Delhi on Monday. A PhD from Cornell University and masters in economics from Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi, Anant served as professor at Delhi School of Economics for more than a decade before…

Students find UPSC prelims questions tougher this year; big question is, will the cut-off be down?

ABOUT three lakh aspirants on Sunday appeared for the UPSC-conducted prelims or preliminary examination, and those who pass will appear for the main examination in October this year before proceeding towards the final stage — the personality test. And about a thousand bright ones who overcome all the three stages will finally make into the covered government services such as IAS, IFS, IPS, IRS etc. According to media reports and candidates' reactions in social media sites, this year’s preliminary paper was somewhat unpredictable and difficult, making many guess that the prelims cut-off may actually come down from…

Centre weighs in options to combine UPSC score with LBSNAA foundation score to allot IAS, IFS, IPS etc.; 10 Takeaways

UPSC Building

IF THE government has its way, securing good marks in UPSC-conducted civil services examinations may not ensure a service of your choice: IAS, IFS, IPS or IRS! The government last week wrote to the cadre controlling authorities to weigh in the possibility of selecting services for officer-trainees only after looking at the candidate’s combined score in the UPSC examination and the performance in the 3-month-long foundation course in the academy. Here are the 10 key takeaways of what this new rule is and what the rule, if implemented, would mean:

7 non-IAS officers appointed as directors in GoI departments, NITI Aayog, UPSC; Full List

UPSC Building

THE Centre last week appointed seven director-level officers in various ministries and departments, apart from appointing 29 joint secretaries. All new directors are non-IAS; they belong to services such as Indian Ordnance Factory Service, Indian Railway Accounts Service, Indian Information Service, Indian Railway Service of Mechanical Engineers, Indian Railway Personnel Service etc. Here are the details of their appointments:

10 things to know about new UPSC Member Smita Nagaraj

A WEEK after 1984 batch former Tamil Nadu cadre IAS Smita Nagaraj took over as Member, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a government agency that recruits top civil servants of the country, the President of India has given his formal nod. A notification issued on Wednesday (6th December), reads as follows: “The President is pleased to appoint Ms. Smita Nagaraj as Member, Union Public Service Commission with effect from the forenoon of 1st December, 2017, for a period of six years or until she attains the age of 65 years, whichever is earlier”. Here are the 10 things about Smita Nagaraj:

Air Marshal Ajit Shankarrao Bhonsle and Sujata Mehta: Know more about 2 new UPSC members

Air Marshal Ajit Shankarrao Bhonsle and former Indian Foreign Service officer Ms Sujata Mehtaon Tuesday took the oath as members Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). His oath was administered by Prof David R Syiemlieh, chairman of UPSC. Here are the snapshots of these two new UPSC Members:

Prof David R Syiemlieh: Know more about the new UPSC chairman, an academic from Northeast

Prof David R Syiemlieh, an eminent historian from Northeast who taught courses on capitalism and imperialism, modern Indian history and also the history of Christianity in Northeast India, will be the new chairman of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), a body that conducts the prestigious examination for selecting IAS, IFS, IPS, IRS recruits, among others. President of India on Monday appointed Prof Syiemlieh, currently a Member of UPSC, as its chairman with effect from the forenoon of January 4, 2017 till further orders or till the completion of his term as UPSC member on January 21, 2018, whichever is earlier. A graduate with history honours from…

Alka Sirohi to officiate as UPSC chairman; 10 things to know about this retired IAS

ON SATURDAY, Alka Sirohi, former IAS of 1974 batch and member of Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) was asked to perform duties as Chairman of UPSC, with effect from September 21, and till further orders or until the completion of her term as UPSC Member on January 3, 2017, whichever is earlier. In other words, she will be the temporary head of UPSC after Deepak Gupta had retired. Here BoI presents 10 things about this retired officer of Madhya Pradesh cadre, including her education, postings and training in classical Hindustani music:

Is UPSC reducing age limit for candidates appearing in civil services exams?

IF REPORTS appeared in a news channel and some news websites on Thursday are to be correct, Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which conducts civil services examinations, may reduce the upper age of candidates eligible to appear for the prestigious exam, from the current age limit of 32 years. According to the reports, the new upper age limit for general candidates may be brought to…

Ex-civil servants Sudhir Chandra, PJ Thomas, others start UPSC interview coaching centre, Anugrah

A NUMBER of former civil servants and experts, many of whom were on UPSC interview board earlier, have started a low cost coaching and customized guidance centre in New Delhi to train IAS aspirants for interviews. Named Anugrah, this Delhi-based organization says, it will give priority to those who hail from rural and disadvantaged backgrounds, though anyone including those who have not yet cleared the civil services mains examination, may enroll at the centre. Former civil servants who are guiding the young aspirants for the UPSC personality test include…

You need just 50% to crack IAS exam; but don’t think it’s a doddle

WHEN high cut-off marks (even 100%?) for admission in Delhi University was the talk of the town last month, did anyone realize that many of those brilliant students would ultimately aspire to score just 50% or a little more in UPSC-conducted civil services examinations in a few years from now and turn IAS, IFS, IPS etc.? Sounds odd, but yes, you need just 50% marks to become an IAS, clearly showing how difficult the examination is. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), the agency which conducts the year-long examination, on Tuesday made public the…

How senior bureaucrats reacted to Saturday’s civil services results; their reminiscences of UPSC days

Ex-foreign secretary Nirupama Rao in 1973

AS UPSC announced the civil services examinations results on Saturday, many a senior bureaucrat including those serving as union secretaries, joint secretaries, ambassadors, former bureaucrats—all took to the social media sites to talk about the results, congratulate the toppers and narrate their reminiscences of their UPSC exams days. Revenue secretary and 1980 batch IAS Shaktikanta Das wrote in Twitter that he felt very happy for the customs and excise IRS officer Ira Singhal who topped the exam this year. “Her performance in Customs and Excise training academy was impressive. Great determination”, Das added. As many as…

What MoS in PMO Jitendra Singh told a group of IAS aspirants about UPSC exam pattern

MoS in PMO Singh with an IAS aspirant

IN UPSC examinations, there should be a level-playing field to all student groups regardless of their background -- rural or urban upbringing, their stream or subject of study in high school or graduation, etc., says MoS personnel and PMO Dr Jitendra Singh while talking to a group of civil service aspirants in New Delhi on Thursday. The minister’s statement came at a time when the government decided to…

Confused Tuesday: Conflicting news on reduction of upper age hit thousands of UPSC aspirants

IT WAS a highly confused Tuesday for lakhs of UPSC aspirants as conflicting news emerged whether the government actually lowered the age-limit of civil service aspirants: 26 years for unreserved candidates, 28 for OBC, 29 for SC and ST candidates, apart from lowering the number of total attempts to three. Later on the day, a report published in the website of…

What’s UPSC chairman DP Agarwal’s take on CSAT? And why Abdul Kalam congratulated the Commission?

UPSC Chairman

AMID the massive row on UPSC’s Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) forcing frequent disruption of Parliament, the nation has heard the story from everyone: protestors, government, political leaders, experts, former and current civil servants etc. But what is the UPSC’s view on the entire episode? Why did it in the first place introduce such an aptitude test that eventually created street protests, vote-bank politics and what not? BoI presents here UPSC chairman’s DP Agarwal’s take on the rationale behind CSAT:

UPSC’s CSAT Row: What existing civil servants have to say

UPSC Headquarters

ON MONDAY, the Central government gave in to the pressure of protesters and section of political parties when it announced the English comprehensive skills included in the UPSC’s preliminary examination, won’t be counted for gradation or merit. But, protesting aspirants were still not happy. What they want now is the scrapping of the entire Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), arguing that this new test format discriminates against those hailing from rural background. BoI here picks out comments posted in social media sites by a few serving and retired IAS officers:

Damaad Shree Video: BJP drags UPSC member and retired Haryana cadre IAS to Robert Vadra land deals

A RETIRED IAS officer of Haryana cadre and current UPSC member Chhatar Singh has been on BJP’s firing line, as the principal opposition party on Sunday sharpened its attack on Robert Vadra’s land deals by releasing a video named “Damaad Shree” and accusing Haryana government and earlier Congress-led Rajasthan regime of colluding with Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law in expediting out-of-turn…

UPSC releases reserve list of Civil Service (Main) 2012 examination; who are those lucky 90?

THIS piece of news comes as a god sent gift to the 90 odd civil services aspirants who would have never thought they would make it into the plum jobs under Central government after they were rejected a year ago. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Thursday released the reserve list of civil services (main) 2012 examinations. The candidates are supposed to check this reserved list at…

Rahul Gandhi stamp in another snap decision: UPSC aspirants to get 2 more attempts, age relaxation

Gandhi with UPSC aspirants (Courtesy: NSUI)

IN A clear sign of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s hand, the Central government in a surprise move on Monday approved two additional attempts for aspirants to crack civil services examinations popularly called UPSC exam, in addition to relaxing their upper age, a move that would allow lakhs of students to try their luck once more to get into the elite services such as IAS, IPS, IRS etc. Unlike in two previous cases, first being the tearing up of the ordinance that favoured jailed politicians and then…

State officers must write a single day exam in Delhi to turn their IAS, IPS dream into reality; 20% weightage on interview

A section of promoted IAS officers with Prez Mukherjee (File Photo)

IF YOU are a state civil service officer wishing to get into IAS, IPS, IFoS etc., better brush up your general knowledge and appear in mock interviews. In a major revamp to the process of promoting state civil service officers including police and forest personnel into all India services such as IAS and IPS, the government has decided to hold a single-day-long written examination in New Delhi’s UPSC headquarters. The written examination will have 30% weightage whereas…