In view of the prevailing coronavirus lockdown, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), on Monday, decided to postpone the civil services preliminary examination "until further notice". The UPSC prelims exams were scheduled to be held on May 31.
In a meeting held on Monday, the commission along with its chairman Arvind Saxena said the fresh date of the examination will be made available on May 20, after assessing the situation.
The Commission was due to release admit cards for the students this week but has decided to defer the process.
Every year, around 10 lakh people register for the civil services preliminary exam. Nearly 1.6 lakh functionaries participate in conducting the exam across 2,500 centres.
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Many other premier exams have been postponed due to COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, the Haryana Civil Services postponed the exam, which was slated to be held from June 5.
The National Defence Academy (NDA-I) examination has also been postponed until further intimation.
Besides, Joint Entrance Exam-Mains (JEE-MAINS) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) have also been postponed. The HRD ministry will announce fresh dates for JEE and NEET on May 5.
However, no clarity yet on when the pending board exams for class 10 and 12 will be conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE).
The board had announced that it will conduct pending exams in 29 subjects crucial for promotion and admission to higher education institutions.
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