The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is facing mounting criticism and allegations of irregularities after the results of the 2025 Civil Services Preliminary Examination were declared on June 11, The Wire reported. Aspirants across the country have accused the Commission of inefficiency, lack of transparency, and even fraud in the conduct of one of India’s most prestigious and competitive examinations.
According to the report, a wave of protests has since emerged, most notably on June 28 in Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi – the nerve centre of UPSC preparation in India. Disillusioned candidates, parents, and educators are voicing deep concerns over alleged anomalies in the exam process and the Commission’s opaque evaluation mechanisms.
“We’re on the streets now, questioning the very UPSC we once dreamed of serving,” Dev, a former aspirant who joined the protests in Delhi, was quoted by The Wire.
Among the most discussed allegations is the so-called triplet controversy – where aspirants noticed that three consecutive roll numbers, often seated in the same room or row, qualified for the Mains. Protestors say this pattern points to potential malpractices or collusion at certain exam centres.
Further fuelling suspicions was a Gujarati newspaper report alleging a paper leak a day before the examination. According to the report, question papers were being sold for Rs 30,000 in Rajkot.
Coincidentally, Gujarat recorded the highest number of successful candidates in the prelims – 300 in total – a number unprecedented in recent years.
“This sequence of events is suspicious at best and deserves an investigation,” said Kajal Chatterjee, an aspirant from Kolkata. “There were eight to ten vague questions with no single correct answer. When that’s the case, the possibility of arbitrary selection cannot be ruled out.”
Chatterjee also flagged that at least three answers in the final answer key were incorrect. “By the time we challenge them in court, results are already declared and candidates are recruited. It’s a race where we don’t even know the rules,” she said.
Candidates have also raised concerns about the ambiguity of questions, especially in the CSAT paper – which is qualifying in nature. Educator Mukesh Pukhraj from Jaipur criticised the framing of comprehension and aptitude questions, stating they were “confusing and numerically extraneous,” making even experienced coaching faculty struggle.
Abhishek Sundar, a candidate from Karnataka, echoed the demand for reform. “The UPSC releases official answer keys only after the final results. That makes them pointless because they come too late for any redressal,” he said.
In an attempt to seek accountability, some aspirants filed Right to Information (RTI) applications. One such applicant, Saurabh Abhishek from Bihar, sought access to his OMR sheet, marks, cut-off, and the answer key. His request was denied, with UPSC citing that the final result process was still incomplete — despite the fact that the prelims results had already been declared a week earlier.
“Even state commissions provide OMR sheets. What’s stopping UPSC from being transparent? And this is just a qualifying stage,” Abhishek said.
Dr Himanshi Guleria from Jammu filed a complaint on the Centralised Public Grievance Redress and Monitoring System (CPGRAMS) citing ambiguous questions, absence of a redressal mechanism, and arbitrary evaluation. UPSC responded by claiming that questions and keys are vetted by experts, and any ambiguous questions are dropped during evaluation.
Yet, candidates like Guleria remain dissatisfied. “Each mark counts. We are stuck in a void with no right to even view our own answer sheets. That’s not how a constitutional body should operate,” she said. Guleria has since launched an online petition demanding transparency.
Several prominent educators have also criticised the Commission’s functioning. Amit Kilhor, a coach from Gurgaon, said that the UPSC recruitment process had become “massively flawed and chance-based.”
“Reforms are long overdue. Withholding answer keys for a year, using error-ridden question papers, and the rise of certificate frauds like Puja Khedekar are all signs of deeper structural issues,” Kilhor alleged.
He and others believe that the growing frustration stems not only from the difficulty of the exam but from the lack of accountability and clarity in the system.
Earlier this year, the Parliamentary Standing Committee, in its 145th report, had warned the UPSC about the consequences of its delayed disclosures. The report stated:
“This delays candidates’ ability to challenge potential errors before advancing to the next stage, undermining transparency and fairness. Such a practice can demoralise candidates and raise concerns about the validity of the examination.”
Yet, critics say that little has changed. The 2025 results were declared without addressing key concerns, even as allegations continue to surface and at least two reported candidate suicides have cast a grim shadow on the entire process.
As the chorus of protest grows louder, aspirants continue to ask: If the country’s most trusted exam body cannot ensure fairness and transparency, then who will?
(This report was originally published as an exclusive by The Wire. Mokokchung Times has republished the report after making necessary editorial adaptations for clarity and length.)