The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced that more than 23,000 candidates have opted for the three newly introduced examination centres for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026. The move is part of the Commission’s efforts to reduce congestion at existing examination venues and make the examination process more accessible for aspirants across the country.
According to an official statement issued by the Commission on Thursday, new examination centres have been established in Bhubaneshwar, Kanpur, and Meerut. With the inclusion of these centres, the total number of venues for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination has increased from 80 to 83.
The Commission stated that nearly 23,000 candidates selected the newly introduced centres during the application process, helping ease the pressure on nearby examination cities. UPSC noted that the additional centres were introduced to improve convenience for candidates and reduce overcrowding at high-demand venues.
The Civil Services Examination is conducted annually in three stages — Preliminary Examination, Main Examination, and Interview — for recruitment to prestigious services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), and Indian Police Service (IPS).
The Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 is scheduled to be conducted on May 24, 2026. According to the Commission, a total of 8,19,372 applications have been received for this year’s preliminary examination.
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the initiative is aimed at making the examination system more candidate-friendly, efficient, and accessible. He stated that the addition of the new centres is expected to provide greater convenience to aspirants while reducing congestion at nearby venues.
The Commission also highlighted special measures introduced for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) candidates. UPSC stated that efforts were made to allot preferred examination centres to PwBD candidates even beyond the existing seating capacity by creating additional seats wherever necessary.
As a result of these measures, nearly 805 PwBD candidates were allotted their preferred examination centres in the Delhi region alone, according to the Commission.
Among the newly introduced centres, the Bhubaneshwar examination centre received 10,656 applications and helped reduce the burden on the nearby Cuttack centre. Similarly, the Kanpur centre attracted 6,938 applications, easing pressure on the Lucknow centre.
The Meerut centre received 5,902 applications and particularly benefited candidates from western Uttar Pradesh by reducing dependence on the Ghaziabad examination centre.
To further strengthen examination infrastructure and planning, UPSC also introduced a dropdown option in the Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2026 application form. This feature allowed candidates to indicate nearby preferred cities during the registration process.
The Commission stated that the data collected through this initiative would help identify suitable locations for setting up additional examination centres in future recruitment cycles.