New Delhi, 25 July 2014: The government Friday appealed to the UPSC aspirants to be patient about their demand for scrapping the Civil Service Aptitude Test (CSAT), adding that no injustice will be done to them.
Making a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Personnel and Public Grievances Jitendra Singh Friday said the three-member committee constituted in March last year has been directed to submit its report in a week’s time.
The reaction followed protests by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) aspirants which turned violent Thursday with students burning a bus, a police van and a motor-bike in Mukherjee Nagar area in north Delhi. As many as 20 people have been arrested.
“The candidates will not suffer and the issuance of admit cards should not be a worry,” the minister said in the house.
Despite the minister’s clarification, the opposition continued to protest and the upper house was adjourned till 2.30 p.m.
Earlier, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned twice during the question hour following the opposition’s demand for a clarification by none other than the prime minister or the Leader of the House on the issue.
The matter figured in Lok Sabha too though it did not lead to any adjournment.
“The government has full sympathy with the students, and there is also a clarity that under any situation injustice would not be meted out to the students, especially on the basis of a language. We will quickly find a solution to it,” Singh told reporters outside parliament here.
The aspirants have been demanding the the CSAT be scrapped as they term it discriminatory.
The government has formed a three-member committee to look into the controversy after aspirants continued to protest in several places in the capital.
“We would also like to request and appeal to the students to maintain calm as the government too is worried about the issue. The decisions will be taken on the basis of the committee’s report,” added Singh.
The protest intensified after UPSC started issuing admit cards to the aspirants for the preliminary exam scheduled to be held Aug 24. The minister has also assured that issuing of admit cards does not indicate that it would influence the results of the report by a three-member committee.
(IANS)
