New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has informed the Supreme Court that it has taken a “conscious and well-considered decision” to publish and review provisional answer keys for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, a move aimed at improving transparency and accountability in its evaluation process.

The decision was communicated to the apex court through an affidavit filed by the Joint Secretary (Exams), UPSC, in response to a writ petition that highlighted concerns from candidates about the Commission’s opacity and lack of disclosure regarding key information such as answer keys, cut-off marks, and individual scores.

According to the affidavit, the UPSC arrived at this decision after “comprehensive deliberation” on various factors, including recommendations made by the amicus curiae appointed by the Supreme Court.

The Commission outlined a five-step procedure to be implemented under the new system:

  • Publication of the Provisional Answer Key will be soon after the Preliminary Examination.
  • Inviting objections from candidates who appeared for the exam. Each objection must be backed by three authoritative sources; failing which, it will be rejected at the threshold. The Commission will assess the authenticity of the sources provided.
  • Placing the provisional key and objections before a panel of subject experts for detailed review.
  • Finalising the answer key based on the expert panel’s recommendations. This finalised key will serve as the basis for declaring the Preliminary Examination results.
  • Publishing the final answer key after the declaration of the final results.

The UPSC said it intends to implement these modalities as soon as possible, describing them as an “effective and adequate redressal” of candidates’ grievances and a major step toward enhancing transparency and public trust in its functioning.

The Commission has also requested the Supreme Court to dispose of the pending petition in light of its decision.

The petition, filed by advocate Rajeev Kumar Dubey, had accused the UPSC of evading accountability and failing to explain its resistance to transparent practices like the timely publication of answer keys and cut-off marks, procedures already followed by state public service commissions, High Courts, and premier institutions such as the IITs and IIMs.

IANS