New Delhi: In a major technological and administrative reform inspired by lessons from the Puja Khedkar controversy, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has, for the first time, deployed Artificial Intelligence (AI) to verify the eligibility of Civil Services Examination (CSE) candidates at the preliminary stage itself.
According to Indian Express report, the AI-driven exercise led to the rejection of 569 applications for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026 after candidates were found to have exceeded the permissible number of attempts, crossed age limits, or submitted multiple applications under different identities.
The move marks a significant departure from the Commission’s earlier practice of conducting such verification only at the interview stage, after candidates had already cleared both the Preliminary and Main examinations.
Officials say the initiative aims to strengthen transparency, ensure fairness, and prevent misuse of the examination process.
Reform Triggered by Puja Khedkar Episode
The new verification mechanism comes nearly two years after the high-profile Puja Khedkar case that shook India’s premier recruitment agency.
Ms Khedkar, a trainee IAS officer, was dismissed from service in 2024 after investigations revealed that she had allegedly appeared for the Civil Services Examination despite exhausting the maximum number of attempts permitted under UPSC rules.
According to findings, she allegedly changed her name and the names of her parents to circumvent the eligibility criteria and secure additional attempts.
Following the discovery, UPSC cancelled her candidature and initiated corrective measures to prevent similar cases in the future.
The 2026 AI verification initiative is being viewed as one of the most significant outcomes of those reforms.
Over 8.18 Lakh Candidates Registered for CSE 2026
According to UPSC data, a total of 8.18 lakh candidates registered for the Civil Services Examination 2026.
Out of them, approximately 5.49 lakh candidates appeared for the Preliminary Examination held on May 24.
The number of applicants witnessed a decline compared to the previous year, when nearly 9.5 lakh candidates had registered.
Officials believe that stricter verification measures, including Aadhaar authentication and AI-based de-duplication, may have contributed to the reduction in applications.
Aadhaar Authentication Introduced for the First Time
A major reform introduced this year was Aadhaar-based authentication through UPSC’s newly developed application portal.
According to Commission officials, around 94 percent of all applicants voluntarily opted for Aadhaar authentication.
This effectively established their unique identity and eliminated the possibility of duplicate registrations.
For the remaining candidates who did not opt for Aadhaar verification, UPSC relied on advanced AI-based scrutiny mechanisms.
How UPSC Used AI to Detect Duplicate Applications
For approximately 49,000 candidates who did not choose Aadhaar authentication, the Commission employed Artificial Intelligence tools to identify duplicate or suspicious applications.
The AI system compared multiple parameters including:
- Candidate’s name
- Parents’ names
- Date of birth
- Photographs
- Historical examination records
Officials said the technology was capable of identifying patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed during manual scrutiny.
The exercise helped detect individuals who had submitted multiple applications under slightly altered identities.
AI Scanned a 15-Year UPSC Database
One of the most significant aspects of the initiative was the use of UPSC’s extensive historical database.
Officials revealed that AI systems examined records spanning the last 15 years to verify candidates’ previous appearances in the Civil Services Examination.
The technology cross-checked:
- Number of attempts already availed
- Age eligibility
- Category-wise attempt limits
- Previous registration details
The analysis identified hundreds of candidates who were no longer eligible to appear for the examination.
569 Applications Rejected
As a result of the verification process, UPSC rejected 569 Civil Services Examination applications.
The candidates were found to have:
- Exhausted their permissible number of attempts
- Crossed the maximum age limit applicable to their category
- Submitted multiple applications using altered details
Officials described the exercise as one of the most comprehensive eligibility verification drives ever undertaken by the Commission.
Similar Exercise Conducted for Indian Forest Service Exam
The AI-based scrutiny was not limited to the Civil Services Examination.
UPSC also deployed the same technology for the Indian Forest Service (IFS) Examination conducted on May 24.
The verification process identified 69 ineligible candidates whose applications were subsequently rejected.
Understanding UPSC Attempt Limits
Under current UPSC rules:
General Category
- Maximum Attempts: 6
- Maximum Age: 32 years
OBC Category
- Maximum Attempts: 9
- Maximum Age: 35 years
SC/ST Category
- Unlimited Attempts
- Maximum Age: 37 years
Candidates exceeding these limits become ineligible to appear for the examination.
Category Change Verification Also Conducted
Another significant reform introduced this year involved verification of candidates who had changed their social category from previous attempts.
Earlier, this verification was generally conducted at the interview stage.
For CSE 2026, UPSC carried out the exercise before the Preliminary Examination itself.
Using AI, the Commission compared applicants’ current category declarations with their records from previous examinations.
The system identified approximately 43,497 candidates whose category status differed from earlier applications.
Examples included:
- General category to Economically Weaker Section (EWS)
- General category to OBC
- SC to OBC
- Other category modifications
UPSC Sent Emails to 43,497 Candidates
Rather than immediately rejecting applications, UPSC contacted all 43,497 candidates via email seeking clarification regarding the category changes.
Officials stated that many candidates had valid reasons.
In several cases, aspirants had earlier applied under the General category because they were unable to obtain the necessary certificates before application deadlines.
After verification, the majority of category changes were found to be legitimate.
However, 133 applications were eventually cancelled because the revised category status revealed that the candidates had already exhausted the permissible number of attempts.
These 133 cases formed part of the total 569 rejected applications.
UPSC Chairman Highlights Fairness and Technology
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar described the initiative as an important step toward maintaining a level playing field for all aspirants.
Commenting on the exercise, he said, “Technology must serve the cause of fairness. This year, UPSC undertook a de-duplication exercise at the Prelims examination application stage to ensure that every genuine candidate is correctly identified and that fraudulent or multiple applications are detected and eliminated.”
He further emphasized that the exercise relied on secure comparison with UPSC’s existing databases while ensuring complete protection of candidate information.
According to Kumar, technology will continue to play an increasingly important role in strengthening the integrity of the examination process.
A New Era of UPSC Examination Management
The introduction of AI-powered verification represents a major shift in the way UPSC conducts scrutiny of applications.
By identifying ineligible candidates before the Preliminary Examination itself, the Commission can save significant administrative resources while ensuring that only eligible aspirants compete in India’s most prestigious recruitment examination.
The initiative also reflects the government’s broader push toward technology-driven governance and fraud prevention.
For lakhs of genuine aspirants preparing for the Civil Services Examination every year, the reform is expected to enhance transparency and strengthen trust in the examination process.
As the UPSC continues to modernize its systems, the 2026 examination may well be remembered as the year Artificial Intelligence became a key guardian of fairness in India’s civil services recruitment process.
Read also: UPSC CSE Mains 2026: DAF Window Opens for 13,343 Qualified Candidates; Apply by June 28
