Civil Services Aspirants in Limbo as Centre Awaits SC Nod on Reservation Norms

The 958 candidates recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the 2025 Civil Services Examination (CSE) are facing uncertainty over their service allocation and the commencement of their foundation course. The course, expected to begin in August, has been put on hold, with several candidates telling The Hindu that they have received no communication about the next steps.

The delay stems from the Centre's application to the Supreme Court, seeking permission for the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) to allocate services without implementing the court's March 11 judgment in the Rohith Nathan case. That judgment found that the DoPT was incorrectly excluding certain Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates from reservations by determining they belonged to the 'creamy layer' based only on their parents' salary income, rather than considering all sources of income as prescribed. The court directed corrective measures within six months.

The CSE 2025 results were declared on March 6, just days before the judgment. The Supreme Court is now scheduled to hear the Centre's application on September 17, leaving candidates in a state of anxious waiting.

One candidate, speaking to The Hindu, said, “The foundation course has obviously not started. I have received no communication from the DoPT or the academy about when it will begin. There was a tentative schedule saying it was to start on August 24, but since the Supreme Court became seized of the matter, we have not heard anything.”

Another candidate noted the lack of updates on official websites, including those of the DoPT and the Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), where the training is to take place. “We cannot see any information about the way forward,” the candidate said.

A third candidate said they are now waiting for the outcome of the next court hearing. “I believe the government is also waiting for the Supreme Court,” they said, adding that no news about the foundation course can be expected until the court examines the issue of service allocation.

The Centre's application argues that applying the judgment's interpretation of the income test to the CSE 2025 batch would be unfair and “against the principles of natural justice.” It contends that candidates who did not apply under the OBC category or could not qualify based on the pre-Rohith Nathan understanding of the test would be affected adversely.

The application further states that the CSE 2025 batch was expected to begin its foundation course by August-end and proceed with service allocation based on the pre-Rohith Nathan understanding. The Supreme Court had earlier described this practice as “hostile discrimination” against certain OBC candidates.

For the successful candidates, the delay extends an already long and stressful process. The civil services examination is one of the most competitive in the country, and these candidates have cleared multiple stages to reach this point. While the court's intervention is intended to ensure fairness in reservation policy, the practical impact on this batch remains uncertain.

Legal experts suggest that the Supreme Court's hearing on September 17 will be crucial not only for the CSE 2025 batch but also for future examinations. The interpretation of the creamy layer criteria has broader implications for OBC reservations in government services across the country.

Until then, the candidates are left waiting for clarity from both the government and the court. Their futures hinge on a legal process that seeks to balance constitutional principles of social justice with administrative efficiency. The foundation course, a critical step in moulding future civil servants, remains on hold, underscoring the deep connection between judicial decisions and public administration in India.