Over 23,000 candidates opt for three newly added centres in UPSC Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026
New Delhi, May 24
In an effort to decongest examination centres for the Civil Services Examination-2026, the Union Public Service Commission has introduced three new examination centres at Bhubaneswar, Kanpur, and Meerut. Nearly 23,000 candidates have applied to these new centres, easing the rush at the adjoining centres for the Civil Services Examination-2026.
According to a press release issued by the UPSC, total number of centres for the Preliminary Examination has increased from 80 to 83, according to a press release.
Reflecting on the initiative, UPSC Chairman 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."
As per the press release, the newly introduced Bhubaneswar centre substantially reduced the burden on Cuttack. The Bhubaneswar centre has received 10,656 applications for the 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 the 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 press release noted.
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.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As a non-Indian observer, this seems like a logical step. Decongesting centres reduces stress for candidates. The data-driven approach using dropdown preferences is smart.
Good initiative but why only 3 centres? UPSC should add more centres in tier-2 cities like Patna, Ranchi, and Guwahati. Many of us still travel hundreds of kilometres.
The PwBD candidates getting centre of choice is a great step. My friend who uses a wheelchair always struggled. Accessibility matters. 👏
Interesting to see the numbers: 10,656 for Bhubaneswar, 6,938 for Kanpur, 5,902 for Meerut. That's significant demand. UPSC should consider more centres based on this survey.
Haan bhai, finally Meerut got a centre! I was fed up of going to Ghaziabad every time. Traffic is nightmarish there. This will save at least 2 hours of travel for us.
Good move but why only Prelims? Mains centres are still a nightmare for many. Also, hope they maintain transparency in centre allocation - sometimes candidates get faraway centres despite preferences.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.