Issues with the UPSC Civil Services Online Application Process

Issues with the UPSC Civil Services Online Application Process

The online application process for the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2025 has caused significant confusion and frustration among aspirants. Several technical and procedural issues have been reported, making it difficult for candidates to complete their applications smoothly.

Common Issues Faced by Aspirants

1. OTP Not Received:

   • Many candidates have reported that they do not receive the OTP after initial registration, preventing them from proceeding further.

2. Document Upload Confusion:

   • Documents need to be uploaded at multiple stages, creating uncertainty about what is required and when.
   • The maximum allowed file size for document uploads is too small, making it difficult to submit standard scanned documents.

3. Photo ID Discrepancies:

   • Candidates are allowed to provide a school ID as a photo ID in Part I of the application. However, in Part II, the system displays the ID section as blank, leading to errors and confusion.
   • If the school ID is not a valid option, it should not be accepted in Part I itself.

4. College Completion Certificate Requirement:

   • The demand for a college completion certificate has added unnecessary complexity to the process.

5. Unnecessary Questions for OBC Non-Creamy Layer Candidates:

   • One such question asks if the candidate has ever changed their name, which is irrelevant for most applicants.

6. Frequent Auto-Logout Issues:

   • When navigating between pages, the application logs out automatically, forcing candidates to restart the process.

Technical Errors in the New UPSC Website

Several aspirants have reported errors on the new UPSC Civil Services Examination Prelims registration website.

• Spelling and grammatical mistakes in the form, such as “Universtiy” instead of “University” and “charachers” instead of “characters,” indicate poor quality control.
• The photograph and signature upload page has glitches, causing delays in form submission.

Changes in the Application Process Without Prior Notice

This year, UPSC has introduced significant changes to the application process, requiring candidates to:

• Submit educational, caste, and physical disability certificates at the preliminary stage instead of after qualifying for the Mains exam.
• Complete a One-Time Registration (OTR) followed by a detailed application form, which now includes service and cadre preference selection—previously done only after clearing the Mains examination.

These changes were implemented without prior notice, leaving aspirants unprepared. Many candidates have reported that it takes up to five days to successfully complete the application, especially for first-time applicants.

Request for an Extension of the Application Deadline

Given the technical issues and lack of prior notification about these changes, aspirants are demanding an extension of the application deadline. We urge the UPSC to extend the deadline by at least 10 more days, until February 21, 2025, to allow all candidates sufficient time to complete the application process.