UPSC issues 2026 Mains guidelines amid Prelims legal challenge

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has issued strict guidelines for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) Mains 2026, scheduled to take place between August 21 and August 30, 2026. The commission has implemented enhanced security measures, including mandatory biometric and face authentication at exam centers to prevent irregularities. Candidates are advised to arrive at least 30 minutes before each session and must carry two recent passport-sized photographs for the authentication process.

Separately, the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in New Delhi has issued a notice to the UPSC regarding a legal challenge to the 2026 CSE Prelims. Petitioners, including Sachin Tiwari, have challenged eight specific questions from General Studies Paper-I, Set A, alleging factual errors, the absence of correct options, and questions that fell outside the prescribed syllabus. The petitioners claim they previously submitted objections through the official representation portal and via email without receiving a response, leading to the current legal action seeking corrections to the provisional answer key.