UPSC clarifies restrictions for candidates already appointed or selected to civil services
New Delhi: Ending the possibility of successful civil service candidates taking the exam once again for the sake of getting a better posting, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said candidates, who are already appointed as IAS or IFS officers on their previous examination, are not eligible to appear for Civil Services Examination (CSE), 2026.
In a notification issued on Wednesday for the recruitment of 933 vacancies, the UPSC said if such candidates clear the CSE 2026 Preliminary Examination but get appointed to IAS or IFS before the mains examination, they will not be allowed to write the mains exam. If they are appointed IAS or IFS officers after the mains examination but before the final results, the CSE 2026 result will not be considered for any service allocation.
The Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) are considered to be the top postings in the central services, followed by IPS and others.
Restrictions, however, are milder for the IPS. Those selected or appointed to the Indian Police Service (IPS) through an earlier CSE are allowed to appear for CSE 2026, but they cannot be allocated IPS again through this current examination — which means they could take the test for securing appointment as IAS or IFS officer.
Candidates who are allotted IPS or any Group ‘A’ service through CSE 2026 are permitted one additional attempt in CSE 2027, subject to strict conditions. Such candidates must obtain a one-time exemption from training with due permission from the competent authority. This exemption is allowed only once, and candidates must mandatorily join the Foundation Course. Failure to either join training or secure exemption will result in cancellation of the service allocation.
If a candidate appears in CSE 2027 and is selected again, they will be given the option to choose between the service allocated through CSE 2026 or CSE 2027. The service not chosen will be cancelled. If no service is secured in CSE 2027, the candidate may still join the service allotted through CSE 2026. However, failure to join training for both examinations will lead to cancellation of both service allocations.
The UPSC also clarified that seniority will not be reduced and will depend on the date of actual joining of service. After joining a service through CSE 2026 or CSE 2027, candidates will not be permitted to appear for CSE 2028 or later examinations unless they resign from service.
Candidates wishing to retain their remaining attempts must refrain from joining any service allotted through CSE 2026 or CSE 2027, in which case the service allocation will automatically stand cancelled.
For candidates already allocated a service through CSE 2025 or earlier, UPSC allows a one-time opportunity to appear in either CSE 2026 or CSE 2027 without resigning from service. However, to appear for CSE-2028 or subsequent examinations, resignation from the existing service will be mandatory.
