Bhubaneswar: In a major relief for civil services aspirants in Odisha, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced a new examination centre in Bhubaneswar for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026, significantly reducing the pressure on the existing centre at Cuttack.
The newly added Bhubaneswar centre has received 10,656 applications for the Preliminary Examination, emerging as one of the most sought-after additions in the Commission’s latest expansion drive.
Besides Bhubaneswar, UPSC has also introduced new examination centres at Kanpur and Meerut to decongest existing centres and improve accessibility for candidates. With the inclusion of the three new centres, the total number of centres for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination has increased from 80 to 83.
According to UPSC, nearly 23,000 candidates have opted for the newly introduced centres, helping reduce the rush at adjoining examination locations. The Kanpur centre attracted 6,938 applications, easing pressure on Lucknow, while the Meerut centre received 5,902 applications, benefiting aspirants from western Uttar Pradesh who earlier depended largely on Ghaziabad.
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar said the initiative was aimed at making the examination process more candidate-friendly, accessible and efficient.
“Our objective is to make the examination process more candidate-friendly, accessible, and efficient. The addition of three new centres is aimed at easing congestion and providing greater convenience to aspirants,” he said.
The Commission also reiterated its commitment to inclusivity for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD). Under a revised mechanism, PwBD candidates were ensured allotment of their preferred examination centres, even beyond existing capacity, through creation of additional seats wherever required.
As a result, nearly 805 PwBD candidates secured examination centres of their choice in the Delhi region alone.
UPSC has received a total of 8,19,372 applications this year for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026.
To strengthen its examination infrastructure further, the Commission introduced a dropdown option in the CSP-2026 application form, allowing candidates to indicate preferred nearby cities. UPSC said the data would help identify feasible locations for establishing additional examination centres in future.
The Commission said the measures reflect its continued efforts to modernise examination processes while maintaining fairness, transparency and integrity.
