New Delhi, Dec 16 (PTI) The pre-legislative consultation policy has failed to achieve its objective so far and needs to be strengthened, Trinamool Congress member Derek O'Brien said on Friday.

Raising the matter in the Rajya Sabha, O'Brien suggested various measures to bolster the policy which was adopted in 2014 to ensure public consultation for all legislations.

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"It may be ensured that the bills that are circulated for comments adhere to the 30 day time limit… To make public consultation binding on all ministries, the manual for parliamentary procedures in the government of India and the instructions issued by the Cabinet secretariat on writing Cabinet notes should be modified to incorporate the procedures for this crucial part of legislation which is public consultation," he noted.

Congress member L Hanumanthaiah raised the issue of age-related relaxation to UPSC aspirants who could not take the examination during the COVID-period.

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He urged the government to look into the matter in a sympathetic manner.

"UPSC aspirants have requested the government to give relaxation under special conditions for those who have completed the age and attempt to write the examination. But the government has taken a decision that it is not possible," he said.

The member mentioned that in other cases the government has taken a decision to relax the age limit for categories in Army, Delhi Judicial Services, UGC and CAA exams. Many states have also given age relaxation as one time measure due to the Covid pandemic, he said.

"This has been done in 17 states across the country," the Congress member said.

Under the same condition, UPSC had given relaxation in 1979, 1990, 1992, 2014 and 2015, he added.

"The students in the interest of their future have gone to the Court requesting for the relaxation. The Court in the judgement has said that this has to be looked into sympathetically.

"So I demand the government to consider this issue in the interest of youth of this country who are eligible and missed the opportunity for no fault of theirs," Hanumanthaiah said during the Special Mentions.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)