Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) released the notification for Civil Services Examination (CSE) on February 4, 2026. This year, the Commission has made several important and major changes regarding service allocation and digital security. The rules of Indian Police Service (IPS) have been made more clear and strict.
If a candidate has already been selected for IPS, then they cannot apply for IPS again through CSE 2026. Moreover, existing IAS and IFS officers are no longer eligible to appear for this examination. If a candidate is appointed to these services before the Mains Examination, he/she will not be allowed to appear for the Mains Examination. Candidates who have joined a service in CSE 2025 or before have been given one last chance to utilize their remaining attempts (without resignation) in 2026 or 2027.
Changes in rules for these candidates also
UPSC has also changed the rules for those candidates who want to re-appear in the examination after being selected for Group A services in 2026. Such candidates will be allowed to appear in the examination only if they obtain exemption from joining training from the concerned department. However, if they do not join the training and also do not avail the exemption, their 2026 application will be cancelled. Furthermore, if they are successful again in 2027, they will have to choose one service, and the other will be considered cancelled. Apart from this, AI-based facial recognition and Aadhaar verification has been made mandatory to prevent cheating in the examination. Candidates will now have to register on a new four-stage portal, which will be completely linked to Aadhaar.
Eligibility
Candidates applying for Indian Administrative Service (IAS) must have a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline from a recognized university in India. Whereas, Indian Forest Service (IFS) candidates should have a bachelor’s degree in subjects like Animal Husbandry, Veterinary Science, Botany, Chemistry, Geology, Mathematics, Physics, Statistics, Zoology, or Agriculture.