Blind, cerebral palsy-affected candidates can use scribe: UPSC
22 Jun 2015 1:08 AM GMT
Candidates suffering from blindness, locomotor <g data-gr-id="47">disability</g> and cerebral palsy can use scribes to write civil services preliminary and main examination, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has said.
Such candidates will also get <g data-gr-id="27">compensatory</g> time of twenty minutes per hour for the exam.
"Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances, will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them.
"However, blind candidates and candidates with locomotor disability and cerebral palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40 <g data-gr-id="37">per cent</g> impairment) will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe in both the civil services (preliminary) as well as in the civil services (main) examination," as per the UPSC's notification.
Cerebral Palsy is a kind of neurological disorder that affects body movement. Whereas, locomotive disability means disability of joints and muscles.
However, those appearing in Indian Forest Service Examination will get additional 60 minutes for each paper.
"Low vision candidates (minimum 40 per cent impairment) will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe. "Low vision candidates will also be allowed an extra time of sixty minutes for each paper at the rate of twenty minutes per hour. Each paper will be of three hours duration," said the Commission in a corrigendum issued for Indian Forest Service examination, 2015.
Due to change in pattern, the candidates applying for Indian Forest Service test will be required to appear in the civil services preliminary examination.
"Since there may be common candidates for civil services examination and the Indian Forest Service examination, after the common screening test done through civil services preliminary examination, separate lists will be prepared for the candidates eligible to appear in the civil service (Main) examination and Indian Forest Service (Main) examination," it said.
The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages--preliminary, main and interview-- to select candidates for prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.Â
UGC to allow <g data-gr-id="59">PhD</g> under distance educationÂ
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is actively considering relaxing its norms which would enable distance education institutions to offer MPhil and <g data-gr-id="67">PHD</g> programmes, benefiting nearly 10,000 students. The matter will be put before the next meeting of the commission. "The commission is taking a considerate view of the matter and it will be placed in the next committee meeting," UGC Chairman Ved Prakash told a news agency.Â
The development comes against the backdrop of a section of teachers from Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) reminding UGC about its assurance given four years back to relax norms in context of research programmes conducted through distance mode. The UGC had clamped the bar by notifying a rule--the Minimum Standards and Procedure for Awards of MPhil/<g data-gr-id="63">PhD</g> Degree Regulation--in 2009 saying research courses in the distant mode were of poor quality. The regulations had put a question mark on the future of nearly 10,000 students pursuing such courses across the country.
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