The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday told the Supreme Court that it was impossible to defer Civil Services exams any further, ANI reported. The apex court was hearing a plea filed by civil services aspirants seeking postponement of the Civil Services (Prelims) exam, scheduled for October 4.

The petitioners have sought postponement of the exam due to the coronavirus outbreak and the prevailing flood situation in several states. 

In a hearing conducted through video conferencing, a bench comprising Justices A M Khanwilkar, B R Gavai and Krishna Murari asked the UPSC to file an affidavit by Tuesday.

The bench will take up the plea for hearing on Wednesday “You file your affidavit tomorrow. Whatever logistical arrangements are there you put them in a short affidavit,” the bench ordered.

The bench asked the UPSC to serve the copy of its affidavit to lawyer Alakh Alok Shrivastava, the counsel for the petitioner Vasireddy Govardhana Sai Prakash and 19 other aspirants who have filed the petition for the postponement of the examination.

The exam was earlier scheduled for May 31 but was postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Civil Services (Prelims) is the first of the three stages an aspirant has to clear to become a civil servant. The prelims exam is followed by Civil Services (Mains), followed by an interview.