2 min readNew DelhiJul 22, 2026 12:12 PM IST
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced a series of recruitment and examination reforms aimed at making the selection process more accessible, transparent, and citizen-friendly.
According to the Commission, UPSC has facilitated the recruitment of 78,394 candidates to various government services since 2014, while implementing several measures to simplify examinations and appointment procedures.
Among the key reforms is the provision allowing Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) to choose their preferred examination centres, making the examination process more accessible. In a post on ‘X’, the Commission informed that they have also streamlined post-selection procedures to reduce delays in appointments and improve coordination with government departments.
To simplify the application process, UPSC has introduced a One-Time Registration (OTR) portal integrated with Aadhaar and DigiLocker. The digital platform enables candidates to register once and securely access their verified documents while applying for different UPSC examinations, reducing repetitive data entry and paperwork.
As per The Indian Express report, around 94 per cent of Civil Services Examination applicants opted for Aadhaar authentication this year, enabling quicker verification and reducing the possibility of duplicate registrations. For applicants who did not opt for Aadhaar authentication, AI tools compared names, parents’ names, dates of birth and photographs with the Commission’s records to detect duplicate applications.
The reforms are part of the Commission’s efforts to modernise recruitment processes through digital technology while improving ease of access for candidates and enhancing administrative efficiency.
Moreover, among the major reforms is the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to verify candidate eligibility at the application stage itself. For the first time, UPSC used AI to identify duplicate and ineligible applications during the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 process, rejecting 569 applications before the examination. These included candidates who had submitted multiple applications, had exhausted the maximum number of attempts, or crossed the prescribed age limit.
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The AI-based scrutiny marks a shift from the earlier practice of carrying out such checks only at the interview stage, after candidates had cleared both the Preliminary and Main examinations.