Brij Lal, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha, has proposed the abolition or reform of the Civil Services Aptitude Test (CSAT), asserting that it serves as a significant barrier to diversity within India's civil services. During a discussion in the Upper House, Lal highlighted that the upcoming Civil Services Preliminary Examination, set for October 24, consists of two papers: General Studies Paper I and the CSAT. He noted that while General Studies Paper I carries 200 marks, the CSAT also carries 200 marks but is a qualifying paper requiring candidates to score at least 33% to proceed. Lal pointed out that this requirement disproportionately affects candidates from humanities and arts backgrounds, as 65% of successful candidates tend to be engineers due to the CSAT's focus on technical and mathematical skills. He criticized the lack of transparency for candidates who do not qualify, stating they receive no feedback or scores, which he believes undermines fairness in the recruitment process. Lal urged the government to take action to ensure a more equitable evaluation system for all candidates, regardless of their academic background.