In a major relief for civil services aspirants from Odisha, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has introduced a new examination centre in Bhubaneswar for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026. The move has significantly reduced the burden on the existing Cuttack centre, which had long witnessed heavy rush during the country’s most prestigious recruitment examination.

According to the UPSC, the newly added Bhubaneswar centre alone received 10,656 applications this year, making it one of the most sought-after additions among the three newly introduced centres across India.

The Commission added Bhubaneswar, Kanpur and Meerut as new centres for the Preliminary Examination this year, increasing the total number of examination centres from 80 to 83. Nearly 23,000 candidates opted for these newly established centres, helping decongest nearby examination hubs.

For Odisha aspirants, the Bhubaneswar centre comes as a significant convenience. Earlier, a large number of candidates from Bhubaneswar and nearby districts had to depend on Cuttack, often leading to overcrowding, accommodation issues and travel-related difficulties. The addition of the state capital as a dedicated UPSC centre is expected to improve accessibility and reduce logistical stress for thousands of candidates.

UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar said the initiative was aimed at making the examination process more candidate-friendly and accessible.

“Our objective is to make the examination process more candidate-friendly, accessible, and efficient. The addition of three new centres is aimed at easing congestion and providing greater convenience to aspirants,” he said.

The Commission also highlighted its focus on inclusivity, particularly for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD). Under a revised mechanism, UPSC ensured that PwBD candidates received examination centres of their choice, even if additional capacity had to be created. In Delhi alone, around 805 PwBD candidates were allotted their preferred centres.

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Apart from Bhubaneswar, the Kanpur centre received 6,938 applications, reducing pressure on Lucknow, while Meerut attracted 5,902 candidates and helped ease dependency on Ghaziabad in western Uttar Pradesh.

This year, UPSC received a massive 8,19,372 applications for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026. To further strengthen future planning, the Commission also introduced a dropdown option in the application form allowing candidates to indicate preferred nearby cities. The data will help UPSC assess demand and identify locations for additional centres in the coming years.

The latest move reflects UPSC’s broader effort to modernise and decentralise the examination process while ensuring fairness, transparency and better accessibility for aspirants across the country.