The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is expected to open the application process for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2026 on January 14. Candidates can apply online through the official website,
upsc.gov.in. The last date for submitting applications is February 3.
The Civil Services Examination is conducted to recruit officers for services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Revenue Service (IRS), and other Group A and Group B services.
As per the tentative schedule released earlier by the Commission, the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 will be held on May 24, 2026. Candidates who clear the prelims will appear for the Main examination, which is scheduled to begin from August 21, 2026.
The UPSC has also announced that candidates appearing for its recruitment examinations will undergo facial authentication at examination centres. According to a note on the Commission’s website, “All candidates appearing in the UPSC examination will undergo facial authentication at the venue.” The Commission said the move is aimed at strengthening the integrity of the examination process.
The UPSC conducts several recruitment examinations for government jobs, with the civil services exam being among the most prominent, selecting officers for the IAS, IFS, IPS and other central services.
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Separately, the Centre has tightened rules related to the use of scribes for persons with disabilities (PwDs) in competitive examinations. Under the revised guidelines issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, examining bodies will be required to create their own vetted pools of scribes within two years.
The existing system that allows candidates to bring their own scribes, which has been flagged for malpractice, will be gradually phased out.
The new guidelines aim to ensure fairness and transparency in examinations and bring the process in line with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, and the Public Examination (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
