Himachal Pradesh High Court Rejects Plea For Extra UPSC Attempt Due To COVID-19 Impact

The Himachal Pradesh High Court dismissed a writ petition seeking an additional attempt in the UPSC Civil Services Examination on the grounds that the petitioner's final attempt was adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Justice Ajay Mohan Goel held: “it is no excuse that because he could not prepare efficiently on account of COVID-19 pandemic, he deserves one more chance.”

Background :

The petitioner who had given his last attempt in Civil Service Examination 2020, had sought for an extra chance citing difficulties created by the COVID-19 pandemic and the national lockdown.

He submitted that he had been preparing for the examination since 2013 and had continuously appeared for it every year until 2020.

He further contended that 2020 was his final opportunity to clear the exam as it was his last attempt. However, he was not able to prepare for the exam properly due to the pandemic.

Findings:

The court held that the petitioner, who had been unsuccessful in all his attempts from 2013 to 2020, had sought a direction from the court for one more chance to appear in the exam without any valid reason.

It acknowledged that certain situations, such as personal illness or administrative failures, might justify missed or impacted attempts. However, mere difficulty in preparation due to the pandemic did not amount to a valid ground for judicial intervention.

It also stated that the petitioner was not the only one giving the examination, there were other candidates also who had appeared for the examination during the pandemic and were successful. Therefore, the court dismissed the petition holding that the petitioner does not deserve another chance.

Case Name: Raja Ram Sahu v/s Union of India & another.

Case No.: CWP No. 7020 of 2025

Date of Decision: 30.04.2025

For the petitioners: Mr. Ramesh Sharma, Advocate

For the respondents: Mr. Shiv Pal Manhas, Senior Panel Counsel

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