UPSC overhauls exam centre allocation for CSE 2026 to prioritise accessibility for PwBD candidates

For years, candidates with benchmark disabilities have faced a familiar uncertainty during the civil services examination cycle: whether their preferred examination centre would still be available by the time they applied. The Union Public Service Commission has now altered that equation.

In a reform aimed at supporting persons with benchmark disabilities, the UPSC has revised its examination centre allocation framework for the Civil Services Examination 2026 and the Indian Forest Service Examination 2026. The changes focus on accessibility and examination security.

No cap on centres for PwBD candidates

Under the revised mechanism, there will be no capping on examination centre capacity for PwBD candidates. Initially, the existing capacity of each centre will be utilised by both PwBD and non-PwBD candidates.

However, once a centre reaches full capacity, it will no longer be available for selection by non-PwBD candidates, while PwBD candidates will continue to have the option to select the same centre.

Additional capacity will be created wherever required to ensure that no PwBD candidate is denied their preferred examination centre.

Explaining the rationale, UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said, “An analysis of examination centre data over the past five years revealed that certain centres - including Delhi, Cuttack, Patna, and Lucknow - reach capacity at a very early stage due to high application volumes, creating difficulties for PwBD candidates.”

“With the revised mechanism, every PwBD candidate will be assured of their preferred examination centre, ensuring greater ease and convenience while appearing for UPSC examinations,” he said, PTI reports.

The shift addresses a structural issue in the application process, where high-demand centres would fill quickly, leaving PwBD candidates with limited alternatives.

Expansion of exam centres

The Commission has also expanded its network of centres to reduce pressure on high-demand locations.

Meerut has been added to decongest Delhi-NCR, Kanpur to ease pressure around Lucknow, and Bhubaneswar to supplement centres near Cuttack.

These three centres have been added for the preliminary examination, increasing the total number of prelims centres from 80 to 83. For the main examination, the number of centres has been increased from 24 to 27, with the addition of Bhubaneswar, Srinagar, and Imphal.

The civil services preliminary examination is scheduled to be held on May 24. The Commission on Wednesday issued the notification for the examination. As many as 933 vacancies, including 33 posts reserved for PwBD candidates, will be filled through the test.

The civil services examination is conducted annually in three stages, preliminary, main and interview, to select officers for the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service and other services.

Revamped portal and technology measures

As part of the overhaul, the UPSC has introduced a revamped Online Application Portal for submission of applications and conduct of examinations.

The redesigned portal aims to reinforce integrity across stages of the examination process while simplifying the application experience for candidates, according to the statement.

The portal now includes a feature related to examination centre preferences. In addition to selecting from notified centres, candidates will be asked to indicate preferred nearby cities through a dropdown list. This data will serve as a survey of candidate preferences and may be used to identify locations for the creation of new centres, where feasible.

The portal also incorporates photo verification and face recognition technology to strengthen identity verification across various stages of the examination process.

Ajay Kumar said that the Commission has adopted the use of the latest technology to ensure “a free, fair, inclusive, and accessible examination process, with a strong focus on enhancing candidate convenience and ease of participation, while ensuring that selections are made strictly on the basis of merit”, PTI reports.

These initiatives form part of the UPSC’s centenary year efforts to update its processes while maintaining standards of fairness and transparency.

(with PTI inputs)
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