The Union government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that civil services examination rules are part of an evolving framework, with continuous reforms and remedial measures undertaken to ensure a level playing field for aspirants across the country.
Responding to a query on whether candidates from Ladakh could be exempted from the qualifying Indian language paper in the civil services (main) examination, Union Minister of State for Personnel Jitendra Singh said the rules are dynamic and reviewed regularly.
In a written reply, Singh said the civil services examination, conducted annually by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), is held in three stages, preliminary, main and interview, for recruitment to the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and other allied services.
Clarifying existing exemptions, the minister said that Paper A on Indian Language is not compulsory for candidates hailing from Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim, as per the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2025.
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The response came after a question was raised on whether aspirants from these six states were exempted from the qualifying language paper and whether a similar relaxation was being considered for candidates from Ladakh.
Singh said the examination is conducted strictly in accordance with rules notified by the Department of Personnel and Training, and any changes are guided by the need to ensure fairness and equal opportunity.
“To ensure a level playing field for aspirants nationwide, the government continuously undertakes reforms and remedial measures,” the minister said, adding that the framework governing the civil services examination continues to evolve.
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