(a) Candidates are required to apply online by using the website https://upsconline.gov.in. It is essential for the applicant to register himself/herself first at One Time Registration (OTR) (Registration) platform, available on the Commission’s website, and then proceed for filling up the online application for the examination. OTR (Registration) has to be registered only once in life time. This can be done anytime throughout the year. If the candidate is already registered, he/she can proceed straightway for filling up the online application for the examination.

(i) Modification in OTR Profile (Registration): In case, the candidate wants to effect any change in his/her OTR Profile (Registration), it shall be allowed only once in the lifetime after the registration. The change in OTR Profile (Registration) data shall be available till expiry of 7 days from the next day after the closure of application window of his/her first final application for any Examination of the Commission.

(ii) Modification in application form (Other than OTR Profile Registration): The Commission has also decided to extend the facility of making correction(s) in any field(s) of the Online Application Form for this examination from next day of the closure of the application window of this Examination. This window will remain open for 7 days from the date of opening of the same. In case a candidate wants to carry out any change in his/her OTR profile during this period, then he/she should login to the OTR platform and do the needful accordingly. In other words, no change in the OTR Profile (Registration) can be made by visiting the window for Modification in application form.

(iii) The candidates will not be allowed to withdraw their applications after the submission of the same.

(b) All candidates, whether already in Government Service, Government owned industrial undertakings or other similar organizations or in private employment should submit their applications direct to the Commission. Persons already in Government Service, whether in a permanent or temporary capacity or as work charged employees other than casual or daily rated employees or those serving under the Public Enterprises are however, required to submit an undertaking that they have informed in writing to their Head of Office/Department that they have applied for the Examination. Candidates should note that in case a communication is received from their employer by the Commission withholding permission to the candidates applying for/appearing at the examination, their application will be liable to be rejected/candidature will be liable to be cancelled.

NOTE 1: While filling in his/her Online Application Form, the candidate should carefully decide about his/her choice of centre for the Examination. If any candidate appears at a centre other than the one indicated by the Commission in his/her Admission Certificate, the papers of such a candidate will not be evaluated and his/her candidature will be liable to cancellation.

NOTE 2: The Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in the categories of blindness, locomotor disability (both arm affected – BA) and cerebral palsy will be provided the facility of scribe, if desired by the person. In case of other category of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities as defined under section 2(r) of the RPWD Act, 2016, the facility of scribe will be allowed to such candidates on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical limitation to write, and scribe is essential to write examination on behalf, from the Chief Medical Officer/ Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent of a Government Health Care institution as per proforma at Appendix - V. The candidates have discretion of opting for his/her own scribe or request the Commission for the same. The details of scribe i.e. whether own or the Commission’s and the details of scribe in case candidates are bringing their own scribe, will be sought at the time of filling up the application form online. Suitable provisions in Online Application Form have been made.

NOTE 3: The qualification of the Commission’s scribe as well as own scribe will not be more than the minimum qualification criteria of the examination. However, the qualification of the scribe should always be matriculate or above.

NOTE 4: The Persons with Benchmark Disabilities in the category of blindness, locomotor disability (both arm affected – BA) and cerebral palsy will be allowed Compensatory Time of twenty minutes per hour of the examination. In case of other categories of Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, this facility will be provided on production of a certificate to the effect that the person concerned has physical limitation to write from the Chief Medical Officer/ Civil Surgeon/ Medical Superintendent of a Government Health Care institution as per proforma at Appendix - V.

NOTE-5: Candidates applying for Civil Services Examination, 2025 will be required to indicate information such as (a) detail of Centres for Civil Services (Main) Examination and Indian Forest Service (Main) Examination (b) Optional subject to be selected for the examination, (c) Medium of examination for Civil Services (Main) Examination, (d) Medium of Examination for Optional Subject if he/she chooses any Indian Language as the Medium of Examination for Civil Services (Main) Examination and (e) compulsory Indian Language for Civil Services (Main) Examination at the time of the filling up online application form itself. No request for changes in these details once online application form is submitted shall be entertained by the Commission.

The candidates applying for the Civil Services Examination should ensure that they fulfil all the eligibility conditions for admission to the Examination. Their admission at all the stages of Examination for which they are admitted by the Commission viz. Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, Civil Services (Main) Examination – either Written or the Interview/Personality Test – will be purely provisional, subject to their satisfying the prescribed eligibility conditions. If on verification at any time before or after the Preliminary Examination, Main Examination (Written) and Interview/Personality Test, it is found that they do not fulfil any of the eligibility conditions, their candidature for the Examination will be cancelled by the Commission. The decision of the Commission as to the eligibility or otherwise of a candidate for admission to the Examination shall be final.

If any of their claims is found to be incorrect, they may render themselves liable to disciplinary action by the Commission in terms of Rule 19 of the Rules for the Civil Services Examination, 2025 reproduced below:

  • (1) A candidate who is or has been declared by the Commission to be guilty of:-
    • Obtaining support for candidature by the following means, namely:-
      • offering illegal gratification to; or
      • applying pressure on; or
      • blackmailing, or threatening to blackmail any person connected with the conduct of the examination; or
    • impersonation; or
    • procuring impersonation by any person; or
    • submitting fabricated/incorrect documents or documents which have been tampered with; or
    • uploading irrelevant or incorrect photo/signature in the application form in place of actual photo/signature; or
    • making statements which are incorrect or false or suppressing material information; or
    • resorting to the following means in connection with the candidature for the examination, namely:-
      • obtaining copy of question paper through improper means; or
      • finding out the particulars of the persons connected with secret work relating to the examination; or
      • influencing the examiners; or
    • being in possession of or using unfair means during the examination; or
    • writing obscene matter or drawing obscene sketches or irrelevant matter in the scripts; or
    • misbehaving in the examination hall including tearing of the scripts, provoking fellow examinees to boycott examination, creating a disorderly scene and the like; or
    • harassing, threatening or doing bodily harm to the staff employed by the Commission for the conduct of the examination; or
    • being in possession of or using any mobile phone, (even in switched-off mode), pager or any electronic equipment or programmable device or storage media like pen drive, smart watches etc. or camera or bluetooth devices or any other equipment or related accessories (either in working or switched-off mode) capable of being used as a communication device during the examination; or
    • violating any of the instructions issued to candidates along with their admission certificates permitting them to take the examination; or
    • attempting to commit or,as the case may be,abetting the commission of all or any of the acts specified in the foregoing clauses;

In addition to being liable to criminal prosecution, shall be disqualified by the Commission from the Examination held under these Rules; and/or shall be liable to be debarred either permanently or for a specified period:-

  • by the Commission, from any examination or selection held by them;
  • (ii) by the central government from any employment under them; and shall be liable to face disciplinary action under the appropriate rules if already in service under Government;

Provided that no penalty under this rule shall be imposed except after:-

  • giving the candidate an opportunity of making such representation in writing as the candidate may wish to make in that behalf; and
  • taking the representation, if any, submitted by the candidate within the period allowed for this purpose, into consideration.

(2) Any person who is found by the Commission to be guilty of colluding with a candidate(s) in committing or abetting the commission of any of the misdeeds listed at the clauses (a) to (m) above will be liable to action in terms of the clause (n) in Rule 19 (1) above.

Note: “If a candidate is found to be in possession or using unfair means, may not be allowed to continue in the said exam as soon as the incident comes to notice of the Examination functionaries and the action against the candidates may be taken in consultation with the Commission. Further, the candidate may also not be allowed in any of the subsequent papers of the said examination.”