UPSC brings changes in online application process

New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced certain changes in its online application system for the civil services preliminary exam after aspirants complained of technical glitches while applying through it, according to an official notice.

The Commission had recently extended the last date to apply for the civil services preliminary exam 2025 till February 18. The UPSC said in the notice that some entries have been made “editable” in the one-time registration for filling up of 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,” it said.

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

If a candidate has lost access to his/her registered mobile number but he/she has the access to his/her registered email ID, he/she can apply for change in the mobile number and in this case, an OTP will be sent to the registered email ID, it said.

In case a candidate has lost access to his/her registered email ID but has the access to his/her registered mobile number, he/she can apply for change in the email ID and in this case, an OTP will be sent to the registered mobile number, the notice said.

However, if a candidate reports that he/she has lost access to his/her registered mobile as well as registered email ID, the candidate will have to send a request to the Commission for making necessary changes at the (otrupsc@gov.in) along-with matriculation certificate, Aadhaar card or PAN card or Passport or driving license, recent passport size photograph and an undertaking in a prescribed format, it said. The UPSC also said that the eligible PwBD (person with benchmark disability) candidates, who wish to seek assistance of ‘own scribe’, will have to mandatorily provide the details of the ‘own scribe’ for the civil services 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.

The PwBD candidates can also upload either the UDID PWD certificate issued by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment or the valid PwBD certificate in format as available on the Commission’s website.

The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- to select officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others. The last date for registration for civil services preliminary exam 2025 and the Indian Forest Service (Preliminary) test was also recently extended till February 18, 2025 ( till 6 pm).