The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) conducts the Civil Services Examination (CSE) annually to select candidates for various prestigious administrative positions within the Indian government. This highly competitive exam serves as a gateway to numerous services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS), among others. The CSE is designed to assess a candidate’s knowledge, analytical ability, and suitability for civil services roles, which are pivotal in shaping the nation’s governance and development.
The UPSC has released the exam notification for 2025, according to which, the Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 will have 979 vacancies, which is the lowest number in recent years. The number of posts decreased from 1,105 in 2024, and also decreased from 1,011 in 2023. This examination will additionally fill 38 vacancies reserved for persons with benchmark disabilities. The number of vacancies to be be filled by candidates with blindness or low vision stands at 12, 7 by deaf and hard of hearing; 10 by candidates with locomotor disabilities, including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims, muscular dystrophy; and 9 by candidates with multiple disabilities.
The CSE remains one of the most sought-after exams due to the vast scope of opportunities it offers for individuals aspiring to serve the nation in an administrative capacity. Despite the decrease in vacancies, the rigorous selection process remains a symbol of India’s commitment to meritocracy, equity, and social justice. In this blog Vajirao and Reddy IAS Institute delves into the details of the exam and discusses the reason for drop in the number of vacancies.
Important dates and details
In 2023, there were 1,105 vacancies, in 2022, 1,011, and in 2021, 712. The official website of UPSC (upsc.gov.in) will host the application form, and candidates will be able to submit their applications till February 11, 2025. The first phase of the test is scheduled to take place on May 25 for UPSC CSE 2025. As part of the online application process, UPSC asks candidates to upload photographs that cannot be older than 10 days. It is therefore necessary for candidates to ensure that their photographs were taken after January 12, 2025.
Additionally, UPSC stated that the candidate's name and the date of the photo must be prominently displayed on the image. Additionally, the candidates' faces ought to take up three-fourths of the image. There are three phases to the UPSC CSE exam: preliminary, main, and interview. Objective-type questions will be included in the UPSC CSE preliminary test. Candidates can register for the UPSC IAS Main test if they receive a score higher than the cutoff. The descriptive paper for UPSC CSE Main will take place across five days starting on August 22. To choose applicants for the various services and positions, the CSE Mains exam will be followed by an interview process.
The process of examination
To choose applicants for administrative positions in India, the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) is administered in three phases. Candidates are filtered for the next level using objective-style questions in the first round, known as the Preliminary Examination (Prelims).
The second phase, known as the Mains, will start on August 22, 2025, and last for five days. It consists of descriptive exams covering a variety of subjects. The interview is the last step, during which applicants are assessed in order to be chosen for administrative positions.
Reasons for Shortage in UPSC Vacancies
According to research provided by the Institute of Public Administration (IIPA), the government was to hire more than 180 IAS officers annually in order to close the deficit by 2020. The government has chosen to hire 180 IAS and IPS officers annually in response to this request.
However, why does not the government hire more than 180 officers and expand the number of openings for direct recruitment through the UPSC civil services test if there is a lack of officers? The thousands of young people in the nation who aspire to become IAS officers in the future will undoubtedly be delighted by this action. Nonetheless, the government has provided good justifications for its inability to expand the number of openings.
Justifications for not hiring more candidates by the Commission
Currently, the (Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration) LBSNAA can only accommodate 180 officers in a single batch.Adding more number of officers may have an effect on their quality. Additionally, the government is opposed to altering the pyramidal structure of civil services. This pyramidal structure in civil services refers to a hierarchical organisational system where authority and responsibility progressively increase from the lowest level of entry-level officers to the top leadership resembling a pyramid shape. However, the competition will undoubtedly be as fierce as it is now, even if there are more openings. Candidates should put all of their energy and intelligence on passing the civil services exam with flying colors rather than worrying about the quantity of seats available.
Conclusion
Meritocracy and commitment to national service are still exemplified by the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE). Even though there are fewer openings, the test is still a ray of hope for those who are dedicated to influencing India's future. Only the most qualified and worthy applicants are admitted into the administrative structure thanks to the systematic selection procedure, which includes preliminary, main, and interview stages. Although the intake is limited due to structural issues, candidates should concentrate on preparing with persistence. To sum up, the CSE is a forum to make a significant contribution to India's development and governance, not just an exam.