The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has come out with a significant reform for its Civil Services Examination. Now, candidates applying for the Civil Services Examination need to submit proofs of age, category, and other claims before the preliminary exam. This change is effective from the 2025 cycle itself.
Earlier process required candidates to provide documentary proofs of claims after clearing the prelims.
This policy shift seems to have been decided by the UPSC in order to preempt any unsavoury controversy like the one involving sacked IAS trainee Puja Khedkar, who was accused of fraudulently using OBC and disability quotas to secure her position. She is now fighting legal battle. This incident underscored the need for stricter upfront verifications.
The commission hopes to minimize disputes and bolster the integrity of the examination by verifying claims at the application stage. According to the new guidelines, candidates applying for this year prelims as well have to upload supporting documents online for claims like date of birth, reservation category (SC/ST/OBC/EWS/PwBD/ex-servicemen), educational qualifications, and service preferences. Failure to do so will result in automatic disqualification.
The UPSC says, this move aims to enhance transparency and streamline the selection process.
