Overview

• UPSC chair Ajay Kumar announced the change during a Doordarshan virtual town hall that opened the commission’s centenary outreach.
• Candidates’ caste, benchmark disability and income certificates will be submitted through the government’s DigiLocker to verify issuance by the proper authority.
• Kumar reiterated a zero‑tolerance stance on malpractice, noting a minimum three‑year suspension for cheating and legal action in criminal cases.
• The procedural update follows scrutiny after former IAS trainee Puja Khedkar’s case; her 2022 selection was canceled in 2024 and she is contesting the decisions in court.
• Kumar told aspirants there is no current proposal to change age limits or the number of attempts for the Civil Services Examination.