The Central Administrative Tribunal's (CAT) Principal Bench in New Delhi has issued a formal notice to the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) concerning eight contentious questions from the 2026 Civil Services Preliminary Examination. A group of candidates initiated the challenge, citing various discrepancies including factual errors, incorrect answer keys, and questions that reportedly extended beyond the prescribed syllabus.
Legal Challenge and Tribunal Intervention
The petition was filed by Sachin Tiwari and others, represented by Supreme Court advocate Shantanu Jugtawat. The CAT took up the matter on August 17, 2026, and has directed the UPSC to provide a response. The next hearing for this significant case is scheduled for October 8, 2026.
Details of the Disputed UPSC Prelims 2026 Questions
The eight questions under scrutiny are numbered 7, 11, 45, 60, 62, 82, 86, and 96 from General Studies Paper-I, Set A. For six of these questions (7, 45, 60, 82, 86, and 96), petitioners argue that the answer deemed correct by the UPSC contradicts established authoritative sources. Furthermore, for questions 11 and 62, candidates contend that none of the four provided options were factually or legally sound, rendering them unanswerable.
Candidates' Prior Efforts and Unanswered Objections
Before escalating the matter to the tribunal, the candidates meticulously cross-referenced each disputed question with primary government records, statutory provisions, and official documents. They submitted their objections through the UPSC's Question Paper Representation Portal after the provisional answer key was released on May 27, 2026. A detailed written representation, complete with supporting material, was also emailed to the UPSC on June 2. However, the petitioners assert they received no communication or clarification regarding their objections, ultimately prompting their appeal to the CAT after the Prelims results were declared without any changes.
Demands and Implications for Aspirants
The petitioners are seeking a directive for the UPSC to re-evaluate and correct the provisional answer key. They also request the complete deletion of the eight disputed questions from the overall evaluation process. As an immediate interim measure, they have asked the tribunal to compel the UPSC to disclose how their initial objections were handled. With a negative marking system in place, the candidates estimate that these contested questions could account for over 16 marks in total. In the highly competitive Civil Services Examination, such a margin can be decisive in determining eligibility for the Main Examination.