New Delhi: Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievance, Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday stated in the Rajya Sabha that there was no proposal to relax the age limit or increase the fixed attempts of candidates appearing for the Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services exams. The minister was responding in a written reply to a question by YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MP V. Vijayasai Reddy on whether the Supreme Court had asked the government to increase the number of attempts to candidates appearing for the UPSC civil services exams in 202o as they were affected in the wake of the COVID pandemic.

The Minister stated that some UPSC, CSE aspirants have been demanding an extra attempt and age relaxation in the civil services exam and had filed writ petitions in the Supreme Court seeking an order from the government for the same. He said that after considering the judgments passed by the Supreme Court on this, the government felt that it would not be possible to relax the age limit of the candidates and change the rules to allow for additional attempts. The Minister also clarified that the Government has no such proposal to enhance the age limit or increase the number of attempts.

Raised the issue of the plight of UPSC aspirants, who were not able to take the UPSC Civil Services Examination due to Covid, in Rajya Sabha.
Requested the government to take a lenient view and grant an extra attempt and age relaxation to the aspirants. pic.twitter.com/CG8LQ13fzJ
— Vijayasai Reddy V (@VSReddy_MP) February 10, 2022

Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur has said that various ministries are studying the draft proposals drawn up by the Niti Aayog on guidelines to be implemented at the national level for regularization of online fantasy sports platforms in the country. This was in reply to a question posed by YSRCP MP V Vijayasai Reddy in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday, on whether the government has recognized the growing popularity of fantasy sports in the country and their role in promoting the sport. The Minister said that fantasy sports in the country and the platforms associated with them are being considered as an emerging field. Fantasy Sports are online prediction games where you put together a virtual team of real sports players.

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