Important information has emerged concerning the Civil Examination of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for 2026. Candidates have approached the court, claiming that eight questions posed in the preliminary examination are 'incorrect and erroneous.'
After reviewing this complaint, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) sent a notification to the UPSC on Monday, demanding a response.
The applicants assert that there are serious flaws in eight questions from the General Studies section (GS Paper-1, Set A). Some answers in the commission's preliminary keys conflict with official data, and in some questions, none of the four provided options is correct.
Furthermore, some questions were asked outside the approved syllabus. The applicants pointed to questions numbered 7, 11, 45, 60, 62, 82, 86, and 96 from Set A.
Lawyer Shantu Jugtavat represented the students. They demanded that the tribunal disclose the commission's decision regarding their objections. If the objections were rejected, they insist on receiving a clear justification for that decision. The students also demand either that these eight disputed questions be corrected or excluded from the evaluation process.
According to the candidates, after the keys were published in May, they submitted their objections along with evidence through the official portal and email, but the commission announced the results without providing any reply.
The students state that, given the negative marking, these eight questions affect a total of more than 16 marks. For determining the qualifying score, 16 marks represent a significant difference, causing many qualified candidates to be excluded from the race for the main examination. The Tribunal has scheduled the next hearing in this case for October 8, 2026. Attention will now be focused on what response the UPSC will present before the tribunal.