UPSC Allows Changes In Online Application Procedure After Receiving Complaints From Civil Services Aspirants; Details Here

UPSC: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has made improvements to its online application system for this year’s civil service preliminary test after candidates complained about technological issues when applying, as per the official notice.

It stated that some items had been rendered “editable” in the one-time registration for completing the online application.

“In view of the queries/difficulties raised by the candidates in filling up the online application form for the civil services examination, 2025, the Commission has decided the following changes in the one-time registration (OTR) for filling up of the online application,” the UPSC said.

As per the notice published by the Commission, editable items in the OTR profile “until the final submission of the application and thereafter during the correction window” comprise “Have you ever changed name?”, “Gender”, “Minority Status”, and “Class 10th Board Examination Roll No.”

The applicants are “not allowed to make any change(s) in the columns related to “Name (as per Class X)”, “Date of Birth”, “Father’s Name”, “Mother’s Name”, “Mobile Number”, and “Email ID” in the OTR profile,” it stated.

If an applicant loses access to his or her authorized mobile number but still has a connection to his or her registered email address, he or she can ask for a change of mobile number, and an OTP will be provided to the registered email address, according to the Commission.

If an applicant loses access to his or her registered email ID but still has access to his or her registered mobile number, he or she can ask for a change of email ID, and an OTP will be provided to the registered mobile number, according to the statement.

Nevertheless, if an applicant reports that he or she has lost access to his or her registered mobile and email ID, the applicant must send an inquiry to the Commission to make the required modifications at ([email protected]) along with matriculation certificate, Aadhaar card, PAN card, passport, or driving license, recent passport size photograph, and an undertaking in a prescribed format, according to the notice.

The UPSC also stated that eligible PwBD (person with benchmark disability) applicants who wish to seek the assistance of their ‘personal scribe’ must furnish their data for the preliminary exam.

“The PwBD candidates, who wish to seek assistance of ‘own scribe’ for the CS (Main) exam, may voluntarily indicate the scribe details for CS (Main) while applying for CS (prelim) exam. Such candidates may update/provide details of the ‘own scribe’ during the window, which will be made available to the candidates after the declaration of the result of CS (Prelim) Exam,” it said.

UPSC conducts the civil services test annually in three stages: preliminary, main, and interview, to choose officers for the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.

The deadline for registering for the civil services preliminary exam 2025 and the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) test has been extended to February 18, 2025 (till 6 p.m.). Previously, the deadline to apply for the examinations online was February 11.

Applicants must apply online using the website http://upsconline.gov.in.

According to the Commission’s notice, if an applicant’s surname has changed and there is a mismatch with the name specified on his or her matriculation or higher educational certificate, the candidate must file a gazette notification to that effect.

“However, if the gazette notification is not available with them at present, they may upload the copy of the same during the window, which will be made available to the candidates after the declaration of the result of CS (Prelim) Exam,” it said.

The reforms come in the wake of a controversy involving former IAS probationer Puja Khedkar, who was charged with cheating by falsely claiming Other Backward Class (OBC) and disability quota privileges to ensure her selection for government employment. She has refuted all charges, however.

The UPSC stated that applicants with an integrated master’s degree (graduation and postgraduate) may fill up the same course in both the graduation and higher qualification columns.

“The candidates are advised to go through the entries made by them in relevant columns before finally submitting the same. It may be noted that after submission of the application, the changes/corrections, if any, in the entries in the application form, can be carried out only during the one week correction window…,” the notice said.

A correction window will be available for candidates “till the expiry of seven days” beginning the next day after the application window closes, which is February 19 to February 25.

The civil service preliminary examination is set for May 25. The examination is intended to fill around 979 slots, including 38 designated for people in the benchmark disability category.

Read the official detailed notice here