The Supreme Court on Wednesday dismissed a plea that sought for an extra attempt for those UPSC civil service aspirants who had exhausted their last chance in the 2020 preliminary examination due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A bench of Justices AM Khanwilkar, Indu Malhotra and Ajay Rastogi dismissed the petition filed by civil service aspirants as it would be discriminatory for other students.

The bench was quoted saying in a PTI report, "The data furnished to this Court by the Commission (UPSC) clearly indicate that various selections have been held by the Commission for Central Services in the year 2020 during COVID-19 pandemic and…if this Court shows indulgence to few who had participated in the Examination 2020, it will set down a precedent and also have cascading effect on examinations in other streams, for which we are dissuaded to exercise plenary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution."

The top court said "no assistance can be claimed by the petitioners in seeking mandamus to the 1st respondent (Centre) to come out with a policy granting relaxation to the participants who had availed a final and last attempt or have crossed the upper age by appearing in the Examination 2020 as a matter of right".

"The Centre and the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) submitted that not only the petitioners or intervenors before this Court, but there are large number of candidates who had appeared in the various examinations last year during the COVID-19 pandemic and everyone must have faced some constraints/ impediments/inconvenience in one way or the other", the report added.