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…

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:

Charm of IAS forces young railway probationers flee IIM campus

A DESIRE to become IAS officers has forced many railway probationers currently undertaking a management training programme in IIM-Calcutta flee the campus as civil services (preliminary) examination, 2009 are scheduled to be held on May 17, 2009, sources in Rail Bhawan told Babu Blogger. This has upset babus in Rail Bhawan who championed the cause of introducing for the first time a 12-week-long executive general management programme for 60 Indian railway officers as a part of the 18-month-long programme for railway probationer officers. The Board had earlier commissioned the IIM-C to conduct the course for the new recruits. Yet, railway officials chose to flee from the IIM campus as trying their luck for entering the elite IAS cadre is much more satisfying than taking lessons on economics, human resource, public policy, behavioural science, marketing, ethics and finance at the IIM.

UPSC Prelims as scheduled on May 17 The civil services (preliminary) examination, 2009 will be held by the Union Public Service Commission on May 17, 2009 as scheduled, the ministry of personnel, public grievances & pension said in a press release on May 15. The release termed the news items appeared in a section of Hindi dailies regarding postponement of some of the examinations conducted by the Commission as false.

UPSC declares results of IES/ISS written test, 2008 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the result of the written part of the Indian Economic Service/Indian Statistical Service Examination, 2008 held from November 22 to November 25, 2008. The candidates who have qualified the written test will now appear for interviews.