Blind, cerebral palsy-affected candidates can use scribe: UPSC

NEW DELHI: Blind candidates and those suffering from locomotor disability and cerebral palsy can use scribes to write civil services preliminary and main examination, Union Public Service Commission ( UPSC) has said.

These candidates will also get compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour for the exam.

"Candidates must write the papers in their own hand. In no circumstances will they be allowed the help of a scribe to write the answers for them.

"However, blind candidates and candidates with locomotor disability and cerebral palsy where dominant (writing) extremity is affected to the extent of slowing the performance of function (minimum of 40 per cent impairment) will be allowed to write the examination with the help of a scribe in both the civil services preliminary as well as in the civil services main examination," as per UPSC notification for civil services 2016 exam.

Cerebral palsy is a kind of neurological disorder that affects body movement whereas, locomotive disability is disability of joints and muscles.

These candidates will also be allowed a compensatory time of 20 minutes per hour, it said.

The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages--preliminary, main and interview-- to select candidates for prestigious Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.

This year's civil services preliminary examination is scheduled to be held on August 7.