At CAT Hearing, UPSC Has Questions To Answer

These aspirants allege that the provisional answer key to the Preliminary round either contained incorrect answers, or questions with no valid option, or questions with more than one possible answer.

While one petition, filed by four candidates, challenges eight questions, the other, filed by 63 aspirants, challenges 27 questions, including the eight cited in the first petition.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the CSE in three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and Interview. The tribunal has issued notice to the UPSC in connection with the larger petition. Both matters are scheduled to be heard together on 8 October.

A source said, “In their petitions, the candidates said several aspirants missed the Mains cut-off by only a few marks. They argued that a disputed answer can have consequences far beyond a single question: a candidate could be denied a place in the Mains, lose an entire year of preparation and, for those making a final attempt, potentially lose their last opportunity to qualify.”

The Preliminary examination was held on 24 May, and the provisional answer key was released three days later. In June, candidates were informed about whether they had qualified for the Mains, which was conducted in August. 

Disputed Questions

Among the disputed questions is one on the Grand Slam tennis tournaments. The candidates have alleged that the answer accepted in the provisional key leaves out a ranking threshold that, according to them, is expressly specified in the tournaments’ own rules governing entry.

Another contested question relates to the “Zero FIR” procedure under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The aspirants have alleged a discrepancy between the Hindi and English versions of the question, arguing that the Hindi wording uses a term closer to “investigation” while the English version refers to a “preliminary inquiry”. 

They contend that the distinction could affect the legally correct answer depending on the language in which a candidate read the paper.

At least four other disputed questions relate to the Rig Vedic period. 

Discrepancy Flagged

One concerns agriculture and well irrigation during the Rig Vedic period. It contains two statements and asks candidates to identify the supporting statements. The petitioners have argued that the answer they believe to be correct does not match the option indicated in the provisional key.

The question refers to evidence for the use of “ashma chakra” and “ahava”, described as strapped wooden pails, to draw water. Candidates, however, have pointed to information on the Ministry of Culture’s website describing “ahava” as a trough. They argue that this discrepancy could lead candidates to interpret the question differently and arrive at an answer inconsistent with the source material.

The aspirants have also alleged that another aspect of the same question conflicts with information available on the National Council of Museums’ website.

“The issue may appear obscure, but that is precisely the point,” a source quoting the petition said, arguing that when an examination tests highly specific factual distinctions, the answer key should meet the same standard of precision.