UPSC Prelims Result 2023: Delhi HC asks CAT to decide on reduction of CSAT Cut-off

The candidates claim that according to the UPSC syllabus, CSAT is meant to assess the general aptitude of candidates, testing their ability to solve basic questions related to comprehension, logical reasoning, etc., at the Class X level. However, in the plea, they allege that the difficulty level of the CSAT questions was similar to those asked in the CAT (Common Admission Test) and IIT JEE (Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination), going against the provided syllabus.

UPSC Prelims Result 2023: The Delhi High Court on June 28, 2023 has asked the Central Administrative Tribunal to take a decision on the plea filed by candidates demanding a decrease in the qualifying cut-off for the Part II (CSAT) examination of UPSC CSE 2023 from 33% to 23%. A vacation bench of Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Manoj Jain declined to grant interim relief and disposed of a petition filed by a group of civil services aspirants regarding the Central Administrative Tribunal's refusal to provide interim relief. “The Central Administrative Tribunal is requested to decide OA as expeditiously as possible. Needless to say, keeping in accordance with principles of natural justice. The petition is disposed of,” the court ordered.

On June 9, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) issued a notice regarding the plea seeking a reduction in the cut-off but declined to grant interim relief. The matter was subsequently scheduled for a hearing on July 6. In response, the candidates approached the High Court, expressing concern that the issue would become irrelevant by July 6, given the pending proceedings before the Tribunal.

The candidates claim that according to the UPSC syllabus, CSAT is meant to assess the general aptitude of candidates, testing their ability to solve basic questions related to comprehension, logical reasoning, etc., at the Class X level. However, in the plea, they allege that the difficulty level of the CSAT questions was similar to those asked in the CAT (Common Admission Test) and IIT JEE (Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination), going against the provided syllabus.

According to the applicants, the CSAT exam, as per the UPSC syllabus, is designed to assess candidates’ general aptitude and their ability to solve basic questions related to comprehension and logical reasoning at the Class 10 level. However, they allege that the difficulty level of the questions in the CSAT exam was similar to those in CAT and IIT JEE exams. The applicants claim that this goes against the provided syllabus and creates a disadvantage for candidates from humble backgrounds who lack access to special coaching or come from rural areas or the arts stream.

Around ten questions in the UPSC exam 2023 were from topics covered in the Class XI NCERT Mathematics Syllabus, and some questions were taken from previous years’ IIT JEE or CAT exams, the applicants allege. The case titled Siddharth Mishra & Ors. v. UPSC is being represented by Advocate Saket Jain. The petitioner have also urged the court to set up an expert committee to review the questions and take appropriate action based on the committee’s recommendations.

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