The Government of India has recognized certain benefits for candidates belonging to specific categories and applying for the civil services exam. These IAS reservations are applicable in the form of relaxations in terms of age, the number of attempts, eligibility and more.
In this article, we shall discuss the UPSC CSE reservation system, and the benefits provided under each of these. Any applicant’s eligibility to apply for the IAS Exam is also determined based on the reservation factors.
Table of Contents:
- How Does the UPSC Reservation System Work?
- Eligibility for Availing Reservation
- IAS Reservation for SC and ST
- UPSC CSE Reservation for OBC
- Reservation against vacancies for Persons with Benchmark Disability
- IAS Reservation for Economically Weaker Section
Aspirants can also acquaint themselves with the UPSC Eligibility Criteria in detail before applying for the upcoming civil services exam at the linked article.
How Does the UPSC Reservation System Work?
The Reservation System in India was introduced to uplift the historically disadvantaged sections of Indian society. This same principle is applicable for candidates applying for the various competitive exams conducted in the country, including the UPSC exam.
Given below is the table that mentions the reservation quota in India for applicants for Government jobs or Higher Educational Institutions (as of March 2021):
| Category | Reservation Percentage |
|---|---|
| Scheduled Caste | 15% |
| Scheduled Tribe | 7.5% |
| Other Backward Classes (OBC) | 27% |
| Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) | 10% |
| Persons with Benchmark Disabilities | 4% |
Talking specifically of the IAS Exam, the relaxations are applicable for the following factors:
- IAS Age Limit
- IAS Exam Fees
- Number of Attempts
- UPSC Cut Off
Eligibility for Availing Reservation
As per the official UPSC Notification, there are a few things to be kept into consideration in terms of fulfilling the eligibility for availing IAS reservations:
- A candidate will be eligible to get the benefit of community reservation only in case the particular caste to which the candidate belongs is included in the list of reserved communities issued by the Central Government
- Other Backward Classes (OBC) candidates need to produce a non-creamy layer certificate to avail the benefits
- A candidate will be eligible to get the benefit of the Economically Weaker Section reservation only if he/she meets the criteria issued by the Central Government and is in possession of requisite Income & Asset Certificate based on income for the respective Financial Year
- SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD/Ex-servicemen applying for any category or benefit must have all the required documents and certificates to support their claim
Other Related Links:
| Age Limit and Number of Attempts in the UPSC Exam | Must-Know Facts about an IAS Officer |
|---|---|
| UPSC Age Limit for General Category | UPSC Posts – Types of Civil Services |
| IAS Study Material | IAS Hindi |
IAS Reservation for SC and ST
Refer to the table below and know about the relaxations provided to candidates belonging to the SC and ST categories:
| IAS Reservations for SC and ST | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | 5 years Upper Age Relaxation
Min – 21 years Max – 37 years (Should not have attained 37 years of age as of 1st August of the exam year) |
|
| Number of Attempts | Unlimited [Till maximum age limit] | |
| Application Fees | Exempted | |
| Cut Off | Comparison between Gen & SC/ST UPSC Mains Cut Off 2020 | |
| Gen – 736 | SC – 680
ST – 682 |
|
| Comparison between Gen & SC/ST UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2020 | ||
| Gen – 92.51 | SC – 74.84
ST – 68.71 |
|
To read about the IAS Eligibility for SC/ST in detail, candidates can visit the linked article.
UPSC CSE Reservation for OBC
The table given below discusses the IAS reservations for candidates belonging to Other Backward Classes (OBC):
| IAS Reservations for OBC | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | 3 years Upper Age Relaxation
Min – 21 years Max – 35 years [Should not have attained 35 years of age as of 1st August of the exam year] |
|
| Number of Attempts | 09 | |
| Application Fees | Rs. 100/- | |
| Cut Off | Comparison between Gen & OBC UPSC Mains Cut Off 2020 | |
| Gen – 736 | OBC – 698 | |
| Comparison between Gen & OBC UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2020 | ||
| Gen – 92.51 | OBC – 89.12 | |
Reservation against vacancies for Persons with Benchmark Disability
The eligibility for availing reservations against the vacancies reserved for the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities is the same as prescribed in The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPwD Act, 2016).
The UPSC gives relaxation and reservations to aspirants who are differently abled. As for 2021, the number of vacancies to be filled through the examination is approximately 712 which include 22 vacancies reserved for Persons with Benchmark Disability Category. The division of vacancies for the same is as given below:
| PwBD Categories | Number of Vacancies |
|---|---|
| Blindness and low vision | 5 |
| Deaf and hard of hearing | 6 |
| Locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy | 6 |
| Multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses | 5 |
Given below is the details of the relaxations provided to the differently-abled candidates in the UPSC civil services exam:
| IAS Reservations for PwBD | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | 10 years Upper Age Relaxation
Min – 21 years Max – 42 years [Should not have attained 42 years of age as of 1st August of the exam year] |
|
| Number of Attempts | 09 for GL/EWS/OBC and Unlimited for SC/ST | |
| Application Fees | Exempted | |
| Cut Off | Comparison between Gen & PwBD UPSC Mains Cut Off 2020 | |
| Gen – 736 | PwBD 1 – 648 | |
| Comparison between Gen & PwBD UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2020 | ||
| Gen – 92.51 | PwBD 1 – 70.06 | |
For more details about the Physically Handicapped Criteria For UPSC, refer to the linked article.
IAS Reservation for Economically Weaker Section
As released in February 2020, the Constitution (103rd Amendment) Act 2019 passed by the Parliament of India enables the State (i.e both the Central and State Governments) to provide 10% reservation to the Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) of the society.
However, it states that no exemption in terms of age relaxation, the number of attempts and the application fee for government jobs shall be applicable for EWS category candidates.
UPSC provides the following relaxations to the Economically Weaker Section’s candidates:
| IAS Reservations for EWS | ||
|---|---|---|
| Age Limit | No Relaxation/ Same as General Category
Min – 21 Max – 32 |
|
| Number of Attempts | No Relaxation
6 Attempts |
|
| Application Fees | Rs. 100/- | |
| Cut Off | Comparison between Gen & EWS UPSC Mains Cut Off 2020 | |
| Gen – 736 | EWS – 687 | |
| Comparison between Gen & PwBD UPSC Prelims Cut Off 2020 | ||
| Gen – 92.51 | EWS – 77.55 | |
Also, read – Who is Eligible for EWS Certificate for UPSC?
Furthermore, candidates looking forward to appearing for the upcoming recruitment can check the detailed UPSC Syllabus to accordingly start off their preparation based on the latest exam pattern.
To get the latest UPSC related exam updates and study material, visit BYJU’S.
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