The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Thursday said more than 23,000 civil services aspirants have opted for three newly added examination centres introduced to ease congestion at existing venues.
With the inclusion of centres in Bhubaneswar, Kanpur and Meerut, the total number of centres for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination has risen from 80 to 83, according to the Commission.
The UPSC said nearly 23,000 candidates chose the new centres for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination-2026, helping reduce pressure on neighbouring venues.
The civil services examination, conducted annually in three stages — preliminary, mains and interview — is held for recruitment to services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS).
This year’s preliminary examination is scheduled to be held on Sunday, with the Commission receiving a total of 8,19,372 applications.
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the move was aimed at making the examination process more accessible, efficient and candidate-friendly.
“The addition of three new centres is intended to reduce congestion and provide greater convenience to aspirants,” Kumar said.
The Commission also said it had taken measures to ensure that candidates in the Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) category were allotted their preferred examination centres, even if additional seating arrangements had to be created.
As part of the exercise, nearly 805 PwBD candidates were accommodated at centres of their choice in the Delhi region alone.
Among the newly added centres, Bhubaneswar received 10,656 applications, helping ease the burden on Cuttack, while Kanpur attracted 6,938 applications, reducing pressure on Lucknow. The Meerut centre saw 5,902 applications, benefiting candidates from western Uttar Pradesh who would otherwise depend on Ghaziabad.
To further strengthen examination infrastructure, the UPSC introduced a dropdown option in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination-2026 application form, allowing candidates to indicate nearby preferred cities.
The Commission said the data gathered through the exercise would help identify feasible locations for additional examination centres in the future.
The UPSC added that the measures reflect its continuing efforts to modernise examination processes while maintaining fairness, transparency and integrity.
(With inputs from PTI)