The Centre on Friday told the Supreme Court that it was not in favour of granting one more opportunity to those civil services aspirants who could not appear in their last attempt in the exams conducted by the UPSC last year due to the pandemic situation.

A bench headed by Justice A M Khanwilkar took note of the submissions of Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, appearing on behalf of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), that the government was not ready to give one more chance to the civil services aspirants who could not appear in 2020 due to the COVID-19 situation.

"We are not ready to give one more chance. Give me the time to file an affidavit... yesterday night I received instruction that we are not agreeable," the law officer told the bench which also comprised justices B R Gavai and Krishna Murai.

The bench has now posted the plea of a civil services aspirant Rachna for hearing on January 25 and asked the Centre to file an affidavit during the period and serve it to the parties.

Earlier, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta had told the bench that the government was considering the issue of granting one more opportunity to such civil services aspirants.