Maharashtra Sadan to allow UPSC candidates 7 days stay

UPSC candidates from Maharashtra who are called to Delhi for interviews, will henceforward be allowed to stay at the Maharashtra Sadan for seven days, according to a notification issued on Monday.

Till now, these candidates were entitled to stay at the state government guest house for three days. The facility, which has now been extended to seven days, is available for a payment of just Rs50 a day.

According to the order issued by chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, the UPSC candidates would be allowed to stay at Maharashtra Sadan for up to seven days for a payment of Rs50 a day. Those going with their families will be charged Rs750 a day.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts annual exams for recruitment in the civil services, whether administration, the police, foreign service, defence services and even medical and engineering sectors.

While the exams are conducted at various centres in the states, candidates are required to travel to Delhi for interviews. Many end up staying at private hotels and lodges where they have to spend large amounts.

Therefore, the state government's guest house facility is a big benefit for these candidates, many of whom are from the rural areas and cannot afford the hotel charges in a city like Delhi. As a result, some of them have to miss the interview call.

States like Tamil Nadu are said to provide various facilities for their students going to Delhi.

"The facility to stay at the state government guest is a big help for us. As students, we cannot afford to spend much money on hotel stay. We are grateful to the chief minister for extending the length of stay," said Jayant Patil, from Pune, who is preparing for the UPSC exam.