The CSAT was introduced in 2011 but was challenged in court, following which a committee was set up to look into the issue. (File photo of civil service aspirants)
In what will come as a major relief for hundreds of civil services aspirants protesting against a controversial aptitude test in the preliminary examinations, the government today said that marks for English language skills "shouldn't be included for gradation or merit."
Several students have been protesting on the streets of Delhi, demanding that the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT) should be scrapped as it leaves Hindi and regional language aspirants at a disadvantage.
"Government is of the opinion that in the Civil Services Preliminary examination, Paper II, the marks of the question-section on "English language comprehension skills" should not be included for gradation or merit," Jitendra Singh, Minister of State, Ministry of Personnel said.
Mr Singh also said that "candidates, who appeared in Civil Services Examination 2011, may be given one more attempt in 2015."
The CSAT was introduced in 2011 but was challenged in court, following which a committee was set up to look into the issue.
The Congress and other parties say since the new pattern was introduced, the number of non-English speaking candidates to make it to the civil services has dropped sharply.
Students have also demanded that the preliminary exam scheduled on August 24 be postponed. They allege that the exam was to be held in September but was advanced to stymie their protest.