New Delhi, June 16: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is under scrutiny following the recent Civil Services Prelims examination held on May 24, 2026. Candidates have expressed their dissatisfaction, labeling this year’s paper as the toughest yet, with a notable decline in the number of qualifiers compared to the previous year.
This year, only 13,343 candidates passed the exam, a drop from 14,161 in 2025. Many students and coaching experts have voiced their concerns regarding the altered exam pattern, which they claim is significantly different, longer, and more challenging than in previous years.
Protests erupted in Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi, where aspirants gathered to raise their grievances about the exam format. The police have increased their presence to maintain order amid the demonstrations.
Reports indicate that the changes in the question paper format, implemented without prior notice, have adversely affected candidates’ preparation, leading to many eligible candidates failing to qualify.
Allegations of a paper leak have also surfaced, with claims that 82 out of the 100 questions in the exam matched content provided by a coaching institute, Anantam IAS, over the past seven months. The student organization NSUI has called for a fair investigation and a re-examination based on these allegations.
Approximately 5.19 lakh candidates registered for the UPSC Prelims this year, which was conducted in two shifts across 2,072 centers in 83 cities. The provisional answer key was released just four days after the exam, a departure from the usual practice of waiting until the entire examination process concludes.
The UPSC Mains exam is scheduled for August 21, 2026, where successful candidates from the Prelims will be called for interviews. A total of 933 positions are set to be filled following the interview process.
The controversy surrounding the UPSC Prelims comes on the heels of other recent examination issues, including the NEET-UG paper leak, which has heightened scrutiny over examination integrity in India.