In an effort to decongest examination centres for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced three new examination centres at Bhubaneswar, Kanpur, and Meerut. With the addition of these centres, the total number of centres for the Preliminary Examination has increased from 80 to 83. Nearly 23,000 candidates have applied to these new centres, easing the rush at the adjoining centres for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026.
Reflecting on the initiative, UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar said, “Our objective is 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. Further, by ensuring that PwBD candidates are allotted their preferred examination centres, the Commission is actively breaking down geographical and physical barriers to make the UPSC journey truly accessible and inclusive for all.”
The newly introduced Bhubaneswar centre substantially reduced the burden on Cuttack. The Bhubaneswar centre has received 10,656 applications for Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination – 2026. Similarly, the addition of the Kanpur centre helped ease pressure on Lucknow. The newly established Kanpur centre attracted 6,938 applications. In western Uttar Pradesh, the introduction of the Meerut centre benefited candidates from nearby regions and reduced dependence on Ghaziabad. The newly added Meerut centre received 5,902 applications.
The Commission has also reaffirmed its commitment to inclusivity and accessibility for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD). Under the revised mechanism, it was ensured that the PwBD candidate, will get the centre of his/her choice, even beyond the capacity of existing centres, by creating additional capacities, if required. As a result, nearly 805 PwBD candidates got the centre of their choice in Delhi area alone.
UPSC has received, a total of 8,19,372 applications, this year, for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026. To further strengthen its examination infrastructure, the Commission introduced a dropdown option in the CSP-2026 application form, enabling candidates to indicate their preferred nearby cities. The data collected through this exercise will serve as a survey of candidate preferences and help identify feasible locations for establishing additional examination centres in the future.
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.
