New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has announced that candidates with benchmark disabilities will now be assured their centre of choice for all UPSC examinations, a step aimed at improving accessibility for such aspirants, according to an official statement issued on Friday.

The Commission said it took this decision after acknowledging the logistical difficulties and specific needs often faced by persons with benchmark disabilities (PwBD). Under the new system, every PwBD applicant will be allotted the examination centre they marked as their preferred option in the application form.

UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the move follows an analysis of examination centre data from the past five years. “We observed that certain centres such as Delhi, Cuttack, Patna, Lucknow and others reach their capacity ceiling very early due to the high volume of applicants,” he noted.

“This creates challenges for PwBD candidates, who are then compelled to opt for centres that may not be convenient for them. I am pleased that, with this decision, every PwBD candidate will now be assured of their preferred centre, ensuring maximum convenience and ease while appearing for UPSC examinations,” he added.

To implement this initiative, the Commission said existing capacity at each centre will first be utilised for both PwBD and non-PwBD candidates. Once a centre is full, it will stop being available for non-PwBD applicants. However, PwBD candidates will still be allowed to select that centre.

“The UPSC will then make additional capacity arrangements so that no PwBD candidate is denied the centre of their choice,” the statement said.

The UPSC conducts several recruitment examinations for government posts, including the civil services examination, which selects the country’s bureaucrats, diplomats, and police officers. The civil services exam is held annually in three stages: preliminary, main and interview.