UPSC announces ‘centre of choice’ guarantee for PwBD candidates

New Delhi, Dec 12: In a move aimed at making its examinations more accessible, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced a ‘Centre of Choice’ facility for all Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD), ensuring that every such candidate is allotted the exam centre they prefer.

Announced in New Delhi on Friday, the decision follows a review of five years of centre-allotment data. The analysis showed that popular locations such as Delhi, Cuttack, Patna and Lucknow often reach capacity early, forcing PwBD candidates to shift to less convenient centres.

UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the new policy would remove this hurdle.

“Certain centres hit their capacity limits very quickly due to high application volumes, which inadvertently puts PwBD candidates at a disadvantage. With this decision, every PwBD applicant will be guaranteed their preferred centre, ensuring maximum convenience while appearing for UPSC examinations,” he said.

To implement the reform, the Commission has devised a three-step mechanism: First, each centre’s normal capacity will be open to both PwBD and non-PwBD candidates, Once capacity is reached, non-PwBD candidates will no longer be able to select that centre, but PwBD candidates will still retain the option.

Finally, UPSC will arrange additional capacity as needed to ensure that no PwBD candidate is denied their centre of choice.