New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission announced a new Centre of Choice safeguard for PwBD candidates in the Civil Services Examination and Indian Forest Service Examination 2026, removing capacity limits to ensure easier access and convenience.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, UPSC said the reform applied to both CSE 2026 and IFoS 2026. The notifications announced 933 vacancies under the Civil Services Examination and 80 vacancies under the Indian Forest Service Examination. The Commission said the move formed part of a broader set of technology-driven reforms aimed at accessibility, transparency and exam security.
UPSC also launched a revamped online application portal for the 2026 examinations. The redesigned system simplified the application process while strengthening integrity at every stage of the examination cycle. Officials said the portal supported smoother registration, verification and exam management.
Under the revised examination centre framework, UPSC removed any cap on centre capacity for PwBD candidates. Initially, centres will accommodate both PwBD and non-PwBD candidates. However, once a centre reaches full capacity, non-PwBD candidates will no longer be able to select it, while PwBD candidates will continue to have access. The Commission said it would create additional capacity wherever required to ensure no PwBD candidate is denied their preferred centre.
UPSC PwBD exam centres expanded for Prelims and Mains
UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar said an analysis of the past five years showed that high-demand centres such as Delhi, Cuttack, Patna and Lucknow reached capacity early, causing difficulties for PwBD candidates. He said the new mechanism guaranteed every PwBD candidate their preferred examination centre, ensuring greater ease and convenience.
To reduce pressure on high-demand locations, UPSC added Meerut, Kanpur and Bhubaneswar as new centres for the Preliminary Examination. As a result, the number of prelims centres increased from 80 to 83. For the Mains Examination, UPSC added Bhubaneswar, Srinagar and Imphal, raising the total number of mains centres from 24 to 27.
The revamped portal also introduced a new feature allowing candidates to indicate preferred nearby cities in addition to notified centres. UPSC said the data would serve as a survey to identify locations for future examination centres. The system also introduced photo verification and face recognition to strengthen identity checks.
Dr. Ajay Kumar said UPSC adopted the latest technology to ensure a free, fair and inclusive examination process. He added that the reforms aligned with the Commission’s Centenary Year initiatives and upheld merit-based selection with enhanced candidate convenience.
