UPSC News:...Students demand scrapping CSAT

 ALLAHABAD: The decision of the Central government to get the marks of English comprehension skills excluded while preparing the merit list for the paper two of Civil Services exams conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), has been termed as a 'half-hearted decision on the serious issue of CSAT' by the aspirants here on Monday.

Demanding scrapping the CSAT, students claimed that the government has also failed to address the pattern of the second paper of preliminary exams and issue of poor translation of the questions in Hindi.

The students had although welcomed the decision of one more attempt for those students, who had appeared in 2011, but also demanded postponement of the exams for couple of months.

An aspirant, Sudhir Kumar Singh said, "The very core issue of translation and format of CSAT on which thousands of students are being agitating is not addressed. English was only a part of the problem which the government scrapped in this exam in a haste."

He said the format of CSAT has been taken from the pattern followed for selection in NDA, management aptitude test for selection in business schools and like.

"It was not addressed. Further the government said that 'it tried to handle the matter sensitively' but it failed to take any decision regarding extending the exams for couple of months of allow those students prepare the exams who had been agitating from past several days," added Singh.

Awnish Pandey said, "In both the UPPSC and UPSC students from Hindi background have to refer to questions in English language in place of Hindi to understand what the question is about."

He added, "In PCS-2014 on Sunday, question numbers 45, 46, 47 and 53 among others have words like 'Pratipushti' for feedback, 'Putla Ka Dard' for 'Straw-man' which is a problem solving technique. Similarly, 'Bhugtan Vishleshan' for 'Payback Analysis' is something for which easy Hindi could have been used."

However, the fasting students of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad, who held a massive road blockade for around two hours in front of Hindu Hostel, refused to comment.

ABVP secretary Vinod Sonkar said, "We will put forward our opinion only after a meeting to be held to review the decision."