UPSC Notification 2020: Expectation vs Reality

UPSC notification 2020 was expected to change the pattern of IAS exam in a various sense. Read below the comparison of expectation and reality.

UPSC Notification 2020 was issued by UPSC on February 2020. As expected, there was no change in the IAS eligibility criteria, IAS Syllabus, IAS exam pattern and scheme of IAS Prelims and Main exam. UPSC itself recommended removing the CSAT (IAS Prelims GS Paper II) in December 2019 but as visible, the Department of Personnel and Training did not accept it. 

Fewer Vacancies

The number of vacancies notified in UPSC notification 2020 is 796. Out of 796, we can expect 180 vacancies for IAS officers, 150 vacancies for IPSC officers and around 32 vacancies for Indian Foreign Services. So we can say that there is a decline in the number of vacancies in other services. Also, the Baswan report considered the time frame of 2010-20. So from next year onwards, there can be a change in the vacancies of IAS and IPS. 

Check here: Service-wise breakup of UPSC vacancies

CSAT paper continues

Coming to the IAS Prelims exam, there are two papers in the exam. The IAS Prelims General Studies Paper-II commonly called CSAT is qualifying in nature. The IAS aspirants are required to get the qualifying marks only and its marks are not considered for the IAS prelims exam merit list. The majority of the Engineering and English medium candidates qualify the CSAT paper and Hindi medium candidates find it difficult to get through in CSAT paper.

The Aptitude test was introduced in 2011 and since then it is a bone of contention for the Hindi medium candidates. It tests the comprehension skills, decision-making skills and general mental aptitude of the candidates. 

See here: Latest IAS Syllabus

No change in IAS Pattern in 2020

The Baswan committee recommended doing away with the optional subject, but there is no change in the IAS syllabus and exam pattern in UPSC notification 2020. The candidates are waiting for the removal of optional subjects to wait for more years. The list of optional subjects is also not changed in the new notification.

There is also no addition in the subject list. There is no subject for candidates having a computer science or defence studies background. There is no subject related to Forensic Science. 

UPSC notification 2020 did not notify any changes in the IAS Exam pattern.

No penalty for absenteeism

There will be no penalty in case the candidates do not appear in the IAS prelims exam. The UPSC recommended penalty for the absent candidates, but the government did not accept it. Around 50% of candidates who fill the IAS application form do not appear in the IAS prelims exam because of the number of attempt clause in the IAS exam notification. This increases the absenteeism in the IAS prelims exam.

Read More: IAS Application process 2020

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