Over 23,000 candidates opt for three new exam centres: UPSC

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Thursday said over 23,000 civil services aspirants have opted for three newly introduced examination centres as part of efforts to decongest venues for examination.

With the addition of centres at Bhubaneshwar, Kanpur, and Meerut, the total number of examination centres for the civil services (preliminary) examination has increased from 80 to 83, the Commission said.

“Nearly 23,000 candidates have applied to these new centres, easing the rush at the adjoining centres for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026,” the UPSC said in a statement.

The civil services exam is conducted annually in three stages — preliminary, mains, and interview — for recruitment to services including Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS). This year’s civil services preliminary examination is scheduled to be held on Sunday.

The Commission said it has received a total of 8,19,372 applications for the preliminary examination.

UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the initiative aims to make the examination process more candidate-friendly, accessible, and efficient. “The addition of three new centres is aimed at easing congestion and providing greater convenience to aspirants,” Kumar said.

He said that the Commission has also ensured that Person with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates are allotted their preferred examination centres, even beyond existing capacity, by creating additional seats where required. As a result, nearly 805 PwBD candidates got their centre of choice in the Delhi area alone, the Commission said.

The newly introduced Bhubaneshwar centre received 10,656 applications and helped reduce the burden of the Cuttack centre, while the Kanpur centre attracted 6,938 applications, easing pressure on Lucknow.

The Meerut centre received 5,902 applications and benefitted candidates from western Uttar Pradesh by reducing dependence on Ghaziabad, UPSC said.

To further strengthen examination infrastructure, the Commission introduced a dropdown option in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination-2026 application form, enabling candidates to indicate nearby preferred cities.

The data collected through this exercise will help identify feasible locations for additional examination centres in the future, the statement said.

These initiatives reflect the UPSC’s continued efforts to evolve its processes in line with contemporary requirements, while upholding the highest standards of fairness, transparency, and integrity, it added.