UPSC row: Centre seeks time

Declining to give a time frame for resolving the matter, the government said the issue will be resolved "as soon as possible’’ and keeping in mind the sentiments of candidates

Police lathi charge ABVP students along with UPSC aspirants who were demanding a roll back of the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) in Allahabad on Wednesday.

The three-member committee looking into UPSC’s Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) issue has sought one more week to submit its report, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Wednesday.

Declining to give a time frame for resolving the matter, the government said the issue will be resolved ``as soon as possible’’ and keeping in mind the sentiments of candidates.

Even as Opposition members targeted the government for coming out with different statements, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javdekar said the issue had been discussed thoroughly in the House.

“Both, the Home Minister and the Minister for Department of Personnel and Training have said the issue will be resolved soon. Government is going to act keeping in mind the sentiments of the students. As soon as the decision is taken, the government will inform the house.’’

Raising the matter in Zero Hour, Janata Dal (United) leader Sharad Yadav said while Mr. Javdekar had said last week that the government will come back to Parliament in a week’s time, the Home Minister is now saying that it will take another week. Seeking a definite timeline, he said the issue should not be allowed to snowball into an all-India agitation.

Cutting across party line Opposition members supported Mr. Yadav and asked the government to come out with a clear-cut time frame.

UPSC aspirants are protesting against CSAT which, they say, gives an unfair advantage to English speaking students. The agitation intensified after the UPSC issued admit cards for the preliminary entrance examination on August 24.