Jitendra Singh Asserts UPSC Personality Test System Is Free From Discrimination
Interview process designed for fairness; candidate category and board identity kept confidential, ensuring unbiased evaluation
New Delhi, Dec 4: The Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) interview or personality test system is free from any discrimination or bias, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
In a written reply, Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, explained that candidates are randomly assigned to interview boards just before the start of their personality tests. Neither the category of the candidate nor their written examination marks are disclosed to the interview board, and the identities of board members are not revealed to candidates. “Thus, the question of discrimination or bias in interviews against any category of candidates does not arise,” he stated.
The minister’s response came after a query regarding whether OBC, SC, and ST candidates who score on par with general category candidates in written exams receive lower interview marks, affecting their final rankings. Singh clarified that the UPSC interview/personality test system is designed to be fair and impartial.
For transparency, the commission publishes all recommended candidates’ marks covering written exams, personality tests, and total scores on its official website.
The UPSC conducts recruitment examinations for various government positions, including the prestigious civil services exam, which selects the country’s bureaucrats, diplomats, and police officers. The civil services examination follows a three-stage process: preliminary, mains, and interview.
