Overview
- The centenary, held Thursday at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi, featured Prime Minister Narendra Modi releasing a commemorative coin, a postage stamp and the book '100 Landmark Judgements' while calling for recruitment guided by 'Nation First' and 'Citizen First'.
- Modi said examinations should assess why candidates want to join public service and their ability to solve complex problems rather than only rote knowledge.
- UPSC chairman Ajay Kumar presented a forward agenda built on Trust, Transparency and Technology and urged reforms to reduce delays and improve 'time certainty' for candidates.
- The two‑day 'Manthan' programme highlighted recent digital steps, including AI‑enabled facial authentication deployed at scale for Preliminary 2026 that authenticated about 5.5 lakh candidates using invigilators' mobile phones to protect exam integrity.
- Coverage placed the centenary in institutional context, noting UPSC's 1926 origins, its constitutional status since 1950, decades of digitalisation and rising inclusion with women making roughly 30% of recommended CSE candidates in 2025.