The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services (Preliminary) examination is being conducted on Sunday with various precautionary measures in place amid the coronavirus pandemic. Several state governments have made special transport arrangements for UPSC aspirants appearing for the exam.
In the national capital, Delhi Metro Railways Corporation (DMRC) started its operation as early as 6am to facilitate the movement of candidates. The Metro services on Sundays generally begin at 8am.
“I used public transport to reach the centre. It was not safe, but what can I do? I had to appear in the exam,” news agency ANI quoted a candidate as saying in Delhi.
In Maharashtra, the ministry of railways gave permission to candidates and people escorting them to the examination centres to travel by special services over the Mumbai Suburban Railway network on Sunday. Candidates can use the exam call letter and I-card for entry at the station.
With their face masks on, students arrived at the examination centres. The situation is “unprecedented,” described one student in Telangana. “This is a very unprecedented situation. Pandemic is nowhere to end in the near future, so it is better to conduct exams,” said Jaswant Kumar, according to ANI.
The Union Public Service Commission is conducting the civil services preliminary examination 2020 at 2,569 centres across 72 cities in the country. This year, more than 10.58 lakh candidates have applied for the UPSC prelims examination.
