Wearing masks or face covers is mandatory for candidates appearing for the civil services (preliminary) examination scheduled for October 4, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has said. Candidates can also bring their own hand sanitizers in transparent bottles, it said. The civil services examination is held annually in three stages – preliminary, main and interview – by the UPSC to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. “Wearing of mask/face cover is mandatory for all candidates. Candidates without mask/face cover will not be allowed entry into the venue. Further, candidates are allowed to bring their own hand sanitizer in transparent bottles,” the Commission said in a statement issued on Wednesday. Candidates have to follow COVID-19 norms of ‘social distancing’ as well as ‘personal hygiene’ inside the examination halls/rooms as well as in the premises of the venue, it said. This year’s preliminary test was earlier scheduled to be held on May 31, but was deferred due to the nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus. The Commission will be conducting the civil services (preliminary) examination-2020 on Sunday, October 4 all over India, the statement said. The Commission has uploaded the e-admit cards for the convenience of the admitted candidates on its website (http://upsconline.nic.in). “The candidates are advised to download their e-admit cards and take a printout thereof. e-admit card must be preserved till the declaration of the final results of the civil services examination, 2020. No paper admit card will be issued for this examination,” it said. The candidates will have to produce the printout of their e-admit card at the allotted venue to appear for the examination, the Commission said. The candidates are also required to bring along their photo ID card, whose number is mentioned on the e-admit card, for appearing at each session of the examination, it said. “It may also be noted that entry into the examination venue shall be closed 10 minutes before the scheduled commencement of the examination i.e. 09:20 AM for the forenoon session and 02:20 PM for the afternoon session. No candidate shall be allowed the entry into the examination venue after closure of the entry,” the UPSC said. Candidates are also advised to bring “black ball point pen” as they shall be required to fill the OMR answer sheets and attendance list with black ball point pen only, it said. “Use of normal or simple wrist watches by candidates is allowed inside the examination rooms/ halls. However, use of watches fitted with any special accessory that might be used as communication device or smart watches is strictly prohibited and candidates are not allowed to take such watches into the examination rooms/ halls,” the Commission said. Mobile phone (even in switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment, programmable device, storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc, camera or bluetooth devices, any other equipment or related accessories either in working or switched off mode capable of being used as a communication device and calculator are banned inside the examination hall, it said.
