At the heart of the controversy over the Union Public Service Commission's civil services examination  which is now set to go back to its original format  are a set of rules giving new weightage to the English paper, besides setting conditions on candidates seeking to take the test in a language other than English or Hindi. Also, the new rules sought to do away with a language paper, one on a language under the Eighth Schedule.

English is currently only a qualifying paper in the mains, while the new rules sought to make the weighted marks from that paper part of a candidate's overall score. The mains examination would have included writing an essay (in English or Hindi) that carried 200 marks, besides an English comprehension and English précis writing exam for 100 marks.

If a candidate opted to write his papers in a language other than English or Hindi, one of the new rules made it mandatory for him to have studied and cleared that language in his graduate course. Another rule, aimed at "maintaining the quality and standards of examination", said there should be a minimum of 25 candidates opting for a specific language for answering the question papers in that language. "In case there are less than 25 candidates opting for any approved language medium (other than English or Hindi), then those candidates will be required to write their examination either in Hindi or in English only," the UPSC notification about the new format had said.

The UPA government, under pressure from the opposition and its allies, has now decided to keep the new format in abeyance. The preliminary examination for this year is scheduled for May 26.

"I don't think many of those who are opposing the new format have understood it. It is wrong to say that it is anti-vernacular. But the government has buckled under pressure," said a functionary of the Department of Personnel and Training. The DoPT plans to hold discussions with the UPSC to find a way out of the logjam.

"Those opposing these two tests should have understood that the essay and English comprehension and précis were to be of Class X standard, something that most candidates hoping to take the civil service exam would be expected to have normally studied," said a UPSC officer.

While it was the rules concerning the choice of language that led to the controversy, the new format had many additional changes. These changes too have been put on hold until the government either partially amends the format or tells the UPSC to keep the contentious clauses on hold while at the same time implementing changes that no one has problems with.

As per the new format now put on hold, the preliminaries were to have two compulsory papers of 200 marks each while the mains part, which used to comprise two papers of general studies, was to comprise four such papers, each of 250 marks. Apart from these four papers, candidates were to write the essay (200 marks) and take the English comprehension test (100 marks), besides writing two optional papers of 250 marks each. The "personality test" would have comprised 275 marks.

Under the existing format, candidates had to clear two language papers  English and a regional language. Under the new format, the regional language paper had been withdrawn.

The UPSC had also removed some languages such as Pali, Arabic, French, German, Chinese and Russian from the list of languages for optional papers.

A new general studies paper was on "ethics, integrity and aptitude". The questions were to be aimed at testing the "candidates' attitude and approach to issues relating to integrity, probity in public life and his problem solving approach to various issues and conflicts faced by him in dealing with society". The candidates were also to be tested about their knowledge of the "contributions of moral thinkers and philosophers from India and world".

Earlier this week, former University Grants Commission chairman Arun S Nigavekar, who headed a committee to recommend changes to the exam format in line with changing work profile of civil servants in a modern society, clarified that the panel had not emphasised any particular language. All that it had recommended was to ensure that the exam judge a candidate's communication ability. The committee, he said, had underlined the qualities a 21st-century civil servant should possess to deal with the multidimensional challenges of the present-day world. "A civil servant shall not only identify the problems of his area, he should also be able to effectively communicate the same to his higher authorities so that a solution can be found," Nigavekar had said.

The exam, which makes selections to the IAS, IPS, IFS, etc, is one of the most competitive and popular examinations in India. The last time the UPSC changed the exam format was in 2011, for the preliminaries.

HOW THEY DIFFER

(Numbers in brackets refer to marks; changes in mains only)

ON HOLD

Paper 1: Essay (200); English comprehension and précis of class X level (100)

Paper 2: General studies I on Indian heritage and culture, history and geography of the world & society (250)

Paper 3: General studies II on governance, Constitution, polity, social justice and international relations (250)

Paper 4: General studies III on technology, economic development, biodiversity, environment, security and disaster management (250)

Paper 5: General studies IV on ethics, integrity and aptitude (250)

Paper 6: Optional subject I (250)

Paper 7: Optional subject 2 (250)

Interview (275)

Total 2075

AS OF NOW

Paper 1: Language paper on an Indian language from Eighth Schedule (300)

Paper 2: English (300)

Paper 3: Essay (200)

Paper 4: General studies I (300)

Paper 5: General Studies II (300)

Paper 6: Optional subject I-A (300)

Paper 7: Optional subject I-B (300)

Paper 8: Optional subject II-A (300)

Paper 9: Optional subject II-B (300)

Interview (300)

Total 2900

KEY CHANGES

* Paper 1 of old format (language under Eighth Schedule) not part of new format

* English a qualifying test in old format; would have carried weightage in new format

* To appear in language other than English or Hindi, conditions apply

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