Union Public Service Commission has published an important press release regarding the conduct of the Personality Tests (Interviews) of the Civil Services Examination 2019. In the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Commission is adopting all necessary measures to conduct the PTs as per safety measures against the spread of the deadly virus. As per the latest press release on upsc.gov.in, the Commission is going to conduct the PTs for the remaining 623 shortlisted candidates of Civil Services Examination 2019 from July 20 to July 30, 2020. In addition, the Commission has also notified that to and fro airfare and accommodation facilities are also being made available to the shortlisted candidates.
The UPSC conducted the written exams of the Civil Services 2019 recruitment i.e. the Prelims and the Mains as per schedule in 2019. The results indicating the candidates shortlisted for the interview stage were released in early 2020 and the Commission also issued admit cards to the shortlisted candidates in January 2020. However, with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown imposed by the government, the Commission was pushed to defer the conduct of the PTs that were originally scheduled to be held from February 17 to April 03, 2020. Subsequently, as situations worsened, the Commission further reviewed the conditions and deferred the conduct of the PTs for 623 remaining candidates of CSE-2019 from March 23, 2020, onwards.
In the latest press release, dated July 20, 2020, which was published on the official website, the Commission has however indicated that the interviews are scheduled to be conducted from July 20 to July 30, 2020, by adopting necessary arrangements to address public health & safety concerns of the shortlisted candidates and personnel at the Commission who are engaged in the activity of conducting the interviews. The Commission is reimbursing the lowest to & fro air-fare to shortlisted candidates holding the e-call letters of the CSE-2019 interviews. In addition, the Commission has also indicated that candidates are to be helped with their lodging and transportation requirements to appear at the interviews.
Candidates on reaching the Commission are to be handed over ‘Sealed Kits’ consisting of mask, shield, sanitizer, and gloves. Considering the elderly age of the senior advisers of the Interview Boards, the Commission has also arranged for contactless interviews. Such staff of the Commission is also being provided with appropriate protective equipment and protective gear. The interviews are going to be conducted with strict adherence to all social distancing norms in the seating arrangements. Furthermore, regular sanitization of the infrastructure including rooms, halls, furniture, and equipment is being conducted. Crucial details regarding such protocols are being communicated to shortlisted candidates and respective State Governments are being requested to co-operate in allowing shortlisted candidates to move in/out of restricted zones.
