Kathmandu, March 19

A day after the government decided to shut schools, colleges and postpone examinations to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the disease spread by novel coronavirus, the Public Service Commission also decided to postpone its written examinations scheduled from March 21 till April 12. The decision to reschedule the exams will be taken after April 12.

Almost one lakh job aspirants who have applied for several posts of civil service security agencies and corporate bodies were to appear for the exams scheduled on different dates.

PSC Chairman Umesh Prasad Mainali said his office wanted to postpone exams earlier in view of the  stakeholders’ concerns but did not do so as he  feared that his office  might be blamed for creating panic in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic.

“The government’s decision to postpone other exams made it easy for us to take a decision to postpone our exams,”  added Mainali. There are 39,000 applicants for National Investigation Department jobs, the largest number so far.

Almost 3,300 people have applied for the section officer’s job.