Wed Oct 15 17:20:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**
The Supreme Court of India has praised the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for its revised policy of releasing provisional answer keys for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination shortly after the exam. This marks a shift from the UPSC’s previous practice of releasing answer keys only after the entire recruitment process. The court acknowledged that the new policy promotes transparency and public confidence and commended the UPSC for its decision, which came about after considering suggestions from legal experts.
**News Article:**
**UPSC Lauded by Supreme Court for New Exam Transparency Policy**
**NEW DELHI, October 14, 2025** – The Supreme Court of India today commended the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for its decision to release provisional answer keys for the Civil Services Preliminary Examination soon after the exam’s completion. This marks a significant change from the UPSC’s earlier policy of releasing the keys only after the conclusion of the year-long recruitment cycle.
A bench of Justices P.S. Narasimha and Atul S. Chandurkar, hearing petitions challenging the former “opaque” policy, praised the Commission’s move, recognizing its positive impact on transparency. The court also acknowledged the valuable contributions of senior advocate Jaideep Gupta and advocate Pranjal Kishore, whose suggestions played a role in shaping the reformed policy.
“The proposal put forth by Mr. Gupta is excellent. This is participatory adversarialism at work,” the Bench noted, endorsing the recommendation that the UPSC publish provisional keys swiftly to boost public trust in the evaluation process.
The court clarified that any remaining grievances could be addressed in the High Courts, instructing them to handle such matters promptly.
Previously, candidates like Himanshu Kumar argued that the UPSC’s prior practice lacked justification. Now, candidates will have the opportunity to challenge potentially erroneous questions early in the process.
The UPSC initially resisted releasing provisional answer keys quickly, citing potential for “uncertainty and delay.” However, the Commission later informed the court that it had made a “conscious and well-considered decision” to implement the change, citing its role as a constitutional body.
Under the new system, candidates can submit objections to the provisional keys, supported by authoritative sources. A team of subject experts will then carefully consider these objections. The final answer key will be used to determine the preliminary examination results, with the definitive answer key still to be published after the final results are announced.
This move is expected to improve the fairness and transparency of the Civil Services Examination, one of India’s most competitive and important assessments.
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