Kochi: The first session of UPSC's Civil Services preliminary exams is over. The exam was held from 9.30 am to 11.30 am. The next session will begin from 2.30 pm.

The UPSC civil service preliminary exams is being held at 78 centres in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Kozhikode on Sunday.

As per reports over 10 lakh candidates have registered to appear for the exam across the country. More than 30,000 candidates have applied from Kerala.

A detailed guideline has been issued for the tests in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. Students, officials who are conducting the exams can travel to the examination centres without any hindrance using their admit cards and identity cards.

Even those coming from containment zones have been permitted to travel to the examination centres. Special services are being conducted by KSRTC and Kochi metro for this purpose.

Gadgets like mobile phones, digital/smartwatches, bluetooth equipment and other IT gadgets would not be allowed inside the examination hall.

The candidates will be allowed to enter the examination hall one hour before the start of the test. The entry and exit for examination hall will be allowed strictly complying with the physical and social distancing norms.

If any candidate has fever, cough or sneezing, he/she should immediately inform the invigilator. A special room will be allowed for such candidates to take the exams.

The main entrance of the examination centre will be closed 10 minutes before the commencement of the test. No one will be allowed to enter thereafter.

All candidates must mandatorily wear face masks. They should remove the mask only if the invigilator asks to do so for the purpose of identification. Each candidate should carry sanitizers.

What to carry to exam hall

• For the UPSC exam, candidates are allowed to carry:

• Mask

• Hand sanitizer

• Water bottle

• Admit card

• Black ball point pen

• Photo ID

• Normal or simple wrist watch

What not to carry to exam hall

• UPSC candidates are not allowed to carry:

• Watches fitted with any special accessory

• Any type of communication device

• Mobile phone, (even in switched off mode), pager or any electronic equipment programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc.

• Camera

• Bluetooth device

• Valuable or costly items

• Bags

Selection to the civil services is done through a preliminary exam, a main exam and an interview which are conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Candidates who qualify the UPSC Civil Services Prelims will be shortlisted for the main exam which is scheduled in January, 2021. UPSC had earlier scheduled the exam on May 31. Due to COVID-19 pandemic the exam was postponed.

Court declines to postpone exams

The Supreme Court had rejected the petition demanding cancellation of UPSC civil service preliminary examinations in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

The exams will take place as scheduled on October 4. The Supreme Court directed the authorities to consider another chance for those who are not able to attempt their last chance because of COVID. Earlier, UPSC had informed that it would not be able to cancel the examinations at this stage.