Inside UPSC @ 100: Key Takeaways from the UPSC Chairman’s Historic Town Hall with Aspirants - Part-II

As UPSC enters its 100th year, the Commission is marking this centenary moment not with speeches alone, but with a first-of-its-kind Town Hall interaction—a direct conversation between UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar and lakhs of aspirants across India. This special session, at DD News broadcasted nationwide, offered clarity on long-standing doubts.

With this backdrop, the UPSC Chairman opened the interaction by sharing the purpose of the Town Hall and his message to aspirants—setting the tone for a candid and historic conversation.

Also Read, Key Takeaways from UPSC Chairman's Historic Town Hall with Aspirants - Part-I

Question and Answers 

On Grievance Redressal & Help Desk

Q : why doesn’t UPSC have a grievance redressal mechanism that responds to candidates’ complaints in time? There should be a system within UPSC itself.

 I’ll also link this with an email question: many aspirants say the UPSC help desk doesn’t assist properly, and there is scope for improvement. 

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• This concern has come to my attention as well, and I agree — improvement is needed.
• In fact, this very dialogue process we are conducting today is itself an initiative by UPSC to connect more directly with aspirants and to communicate in a friendlier and responsive manner.
• Recently, we also started our official LinkedIn portal so that communication with candidates can happen more smoothly.
• As of today, our help desk system was functioning only during limited periods — mainly the application period or the examination period.
• But we have now decided that the help desk will run twelve months a year, so that at any time candidates can reach out and get assistance.
• Work on this has already begun, and it will start very soon.

On Chairman’s Personal Journey & Mantra for Success

Q (by Aspirant): Sir, you must have taken many exams. What was your journey, and what is your core mantra for success?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• First of all, my best wishes for your UPSC preparation—work hard and may your result be favorable.
• Honestly, there is no big difference between you and me. Just as you are preparing today, once I was preparing in the same way.
• I did B.Tech in Engineering from IIT Kanpur, at that time, it was very common for graduates from Kanpur to go to the USA, because there were excellent opportunities there. Many of my batchmates went abroad.
• But I felt clearly that I did not want to go to the USA. I wanted to stay in India and serve the country here. So I never applied to any US university. Instead, I prepared for the IAS and also the Engineering Services, being an engineer.
• By luck, I cleared both. But I must say, at that time the competition was not as intense. Today, the number of aspirants has increased 10 to 15 times compared to my time. The competition is much tougher now—this is a reality.
• Still, I would like to share some suggestions which I have followed not only for UPSC selection but throughout my life:
  1. Curiosity: Always remain curious. Don’t just mug up. Try to understand why something is the way it is, and if something seems wrong, think of how to change it. That is what you will do in service.
  2. Consistency: Maintain regularity. I never believed in studying 18–20 hours just in the last week. Do a little every day, steadily. That way, when exams come, you won’t be under pressure.
  3. Focus: Once you set a goal, keep your focus on it. If you have chosen UPSC, then commit to UPSC—not that tomorrow if someone suggests MBA, you shift direction. Limit your goals and stay consistent with them.
  4. Positive mindset: This is not just for UPSC but for life. Failures, difficulties, and self-doubt will come. At that time, you must keep confidence in yourself and maintain positivity. Don’t let demotivation pull you down.
  5. Time management: We often feel there is no time, but actually there is plenty of time—if you manage it properly. With good time management, you will realize you can achieve many things.
• These principles helped me a lot in my own journey, and I believe they will help you and every aspirant too. Not just for UPSC, but for life in general.

On Mains Evaluation, Interview Variation & Moderation

Q : how does UPSC reduce variations in Mains evaluation and Interview across examiners or boards? With so many subjects, languages, and boards, how is uniformity ensured?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• This is a very natural and logical question, because UPSC is a unique process: we take candidates from every background, every discipline, and bring them into a single merit list.
• Consider the scale: there are 48 optional subjects and 23 languages. When candidates of all these disciplines give the exam, naturally there are differences in evaluation.

Step 1 – Subject-Level Standardization:

• For every subject, we identify the top experts in that field. They are completely anonymous — no one knows who they are, not even I as Chairman. They never reveal their role.
• First, a detailed key is prepared for each subject: what points to look for in answers.
• This key goes through two–three levels of expert vetting before it is finalized.
• Every evaluator then uses this key to check answers, ensuring a uniform benchmark within the subject.

Step 2 – Multi-Level Checking of Evaluators:

• The evaluator’s work is reviewed by two levels of supervisors to confirm that uniform standards are applied across all copies.
• At the highest level, all students of a subject are brought to a uniform benchmark. (so that within the subject, everyone is graded on the same scale.)

Step 3 – Cross-Subject Moderation:

• Now, across subjects — for example, History, Mathematics, Engineering — average scores may differ (lower in one subject, higher in another).
• To address this, UPSC applies a moderation process.
• This is a statistically proven, time-tested, and robust method used for decades.
• Moderation adjusts marks across subjects by looking at averages and statistical formulae, bringing everyone fairly into one comparable scale.
• A lot of research has been done on moderation, and it has also received approval from the Hon’ble Supreme Court.

On Dropped Questions in Prelims

Q :  In the Civil Services Prelims paper, sometimes questions have been dropped. Why does this happen, and are steps being taken to prevent it?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• Let me explain our process and why this happens.
• UPSC’s question papers are set by chosen subject experts from across the country. These are not made by our officers, because the questions are of such a high level that only domain experts can design them.
• When a question is created, an answer is also provided by the question-setter. Another set of experts then verifies the answer before it goes into the paper.
• Despite this multiple-level checking, sometimes it happens that when the paper is out and candidates send their feedback through the QREP portal, it emerges that the paper-setter had framed the question from one perspective, but there exists another valid perspective as well.
• Another factor is that the frontier of knowledge is expanding very fast. For example, what was written in science books in 2015 may have been updated by 2025 with new knowledge. Sometimes, a question might rely on an older interpretation that later becomes outdated.
• In such rare cases, we get the matter reviewed again — by the original expert and also by a separate team of experts.
• If they conclude that there are two valid interpretations, then it would be unfair to reward only one interpretation. That is why we drop the question.
• But let me stress: this happens very rarely. For example, this year not a single question was dropped; in one previous year, only two questions were dropped.
• When a question is dropped, suppose there were 100 questions — now it becomes 99 questions, and everyone’s marks are calculated out of 99.
• This ensures a level playing field, and no candidate suffers.

On Strategy, if, Preparing Today

Q : Sir, you have completed the journey from UPSC aspirant to UPSC Chairman. If today you were a UPSC aspirant, what would be your approach or strategy for this exam? And similarly, if you had to guide your own grandchildren for the IAS exam, what tips would you give?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• I have always believed in self-study, to study diligently, with hard work and discipline.
• When we prepared, we often used to count hours — how many hours we studied in a day. Preparation requires long hours of consistent effort.
• During that time, it is natural to feel: “I know nothing… my preparation is incomplete.” Before exams, doubts always arise.
• When you attempt test papers, sometimes you feel: “My marks are poor; I couldn’t do it; I feel like a failure.”
• But precisely at such moments, you must maintain self-belief — confidence in yourself. This happens with everyone, so don’t think it’s only you. Every aspirant faces it.
• My own habit is running. In long-distance running, when you get tired, the thought should be: “I must take one more step.” This philosophy applies to UPSC as well — keep taking one more step, never give up.
• Some of my core mantras are:
  1. Always ask “why” — don’t just assume what is written is correct, seek the reasoning behind it.
  2. Work hard every day.
  3. Keep your focus on the goal.
  4. Manage your time well.
• With these practices, you can definitely succeed. And not just in UPSC — in every field of life, these tips will benefit you.
• For UPSC aspirants, remember: if success doesn’t come in one attempt, you try again in the next, and then the next. The key is to maintain positivity throughout the journey.

On Candidate’s Background in Interview – Does it Matter?

Q : Does a candidate's background really matter in a UPSC interview? 

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• Absolutely not. A candidate’s background has no impact in the interview.
• Our interview boards are composed of very senior, highly experienced people who have spent decades in service. They fully understand—and have always upheld—the principle that a candidate’s background should never influence evaluation.

Qualitative Point:

• In interviews, the focus is on the candidate’s personality, thinking, and suitability for public service—not on where they come from.

Quantitative Point:

• To cross-check, I personally looked at the data.
• The analysis showed that, on an average, there is no difference proportionally between theory marks and interview marks across any categories.
• This clearly demonstrates that, on average, no bias exists.

There is no bias in the process, but at the same time, UPSC always remains alert—even to the slightest possibility—so that every candidate is assured of complete fairness.

On Engineering Background – Advantage or Myth?

Q : Q asks specifically about engineering backgrounds. You earlier gave an example regarding CSAT, but here the doubt is: candidates from mechanical, civil, electrical streams—do they get more advantage? 

Another aspirant goes a step further, asking: are these streams even considered while deciding results?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• Let me share what I call a “UPSC secret.”
• First, in principle: UPSC is totally neutral. We give neither preference nor non-preference to any discipline.
• Now, the “secret”: many engineering students who qualify—most of them actually qualify with humanities subjects.
• As I said at the beginning, this may sound unbelievable, but it is true—engineers are qualifying with humanities subjects.
• Also remember: when an answer copy goes for evaluation, there are no candidate details on it. The copy is completely anonymous. The evaluator does not know whether it is an engineer’s copy or someone else’s.
• The copy comes, it is evaluated, and marks are given purely on that basis.
• If most students today are engineers, a large majority of them qualify not through engineering subjects, but through non-engineering ones.
• Therefore, for us, everyone is equal. Evaluation is based only on the copy that comes, not on a candidate’s background.

On Continuation of Town Halls (such sessions will be held again?)

Q: Can we continue with such interactions annually? Or will this be the first and last time?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• No, no—they should certainly continue from time to time, whenever needed.
• The best medium today is technology, which allows us to connect with aspirants across the country.
• I must apologize to my non-Hindi viewers for having used Hindi, but I believe most people across India will appreciate that we had to choose one language.
• We will continue this process whenever it is felt necessary.

On Missing Selection by a Few Marks – Advice

Q : Sir, when aspirants prepare for months—sleeping only 3–4 hours—and then miss by a few marks, what would you say to such candidates?

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• First of all, now there is Pratibha Setu. For such candidates, it has opened a new path—where opportunities in excellent organizations, sometimes even better than civil services, are available.
• I know candidates who, through Pratibha Setu, have secured very good jobs—sometimes with better starting salaries than civil servants.
• Second, I believe the most important thing is: civil services is not the end of the world.
• The hard work and capability you develop in the UPSC process prepares you to succeed anywhere.
• This journey itself builds the competence to deliver in any job.
• Therefore, if UPSC does not happen, it is not a weakness. Not everyone can be selected—numbers are limited, and many good people will not make it.
• My advice: look at other opportunities; you have the capability and determination, and you will surely succeed elsewhere.

On Guidance by UPSC in future 

Q: Will UPSC itself take any steps in the future to provide guidance to aspirants, so that they don’t have to depend on coaching centers? 

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• Many steps are being taken by the government for this.
• But UPSC’s constitutional mandate is recruitment. If we start mentoring, tomorrow people may say those mentored by UPSC are being given preference—and then the level playing field will be lost. So UPSC does not want to go in that direction.
• But yes, government initiatives are expanding, especially in areas where facilities are fewer, and these efforts must grow.

On Final Message to Aspirants

Q : Before we conclude, Sir, your message to all UPSC aspirants appearing in the upcoming exams.

A (UPSC Chairman Dr. Ajay Kumar):

• For us, you are not just aspirants—you are a great potential contributing to India’s progress.
• Our job is to chisel this potential and bring it forward to serve the nation.
• From village to city, from books to digital—you will write the new story of a new India.
• My suggestion as an elder brother: dream big, work hard, be disciplined, and achieve your goal.
• We will be waiting for you.
• But finally: if CSE is not cleared, don’t take tension—there are many other equally good opportunities. Just keep your confidence.