UPSC set to release answer keys after Civil Service prelims, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• UPSC will now release provisional answer keys after the Civil Services preliminary examination.
• The decision was conveyed to the Supreme Court in an affidavit, changing the previous practice.
• This move aims to allow candidates to raise objections, which will be reviewed by subject experts.
• The final answer key will be released after the declaration of the final results.
• A petition was filed on August 11 by 28 Civil Services aspirants against the UPSC’s answer key policy for the 2025 Civil Services prelims.

Detailed Insights:

• The earlier practice of UPSC was to release answer keys only after the completion of the entire recruitment cycle, which lasted a year.
• The decision to release provisional keys after prelims is intended to bring more transparency and fairness to the examination process.
• The petitioner's counsel pointed out that the affidavit did not address redressal measures for candidates who appeared in the May prelims, where no provisional keys were provided.
• The Supreme Court is currently considering detailed rules for future UPSC exams, including timelines for answer key releases and objection processes.
• The aspirants argued that the delayed release of answer keys undermined transparency and fairness in the examination process.

Key Concepts Involved:

• UPSC (Union Public Service Commission): India's central agency responsible for conducting civil services examinations.
• Civil Services Examination: A competitive exam in India for recruitment to various civil services of the government.
• Answer Key: A list of correct answers to questions in an examination, used for evaluating candidate performance.