642 Candidates Appear for UPSC Mains Across Three Centres in Chennai

A total of 642 out of 651 registered candidates appeared for the UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination across three centres in Chennai, according to the Directorate of Government Examinations (DGE). Nine candidates were absent during the examination, which concluded on Sunday.

Among the candidates registered in Chennai, 13 were persons with disabilities (PwD) and were provided an additional hour to complete their papers. The examination took place across four days on August 21, 23, 29, and 30, conducted in two daily sessions from 9 am to noon and from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm.

Candidate attendance was verified using a face-authentication app throughout the schedule. The DGE stated that no complaints were received regarding the conduct of the examination across the city's centres.

Aspirants reported mixed reactions to the papers, with many describing General Studies Paper IV (Ethics) as the most challenging. Candidates pointed to a major structural shift in the paper. While last year's paper included 13 direct questions and six case studies, all 19 questions this year were case-study based, demanding practical application.

T Sankara Saravanan, Additional Director of the All India Civil Services Coaching Centre, said the revised pattern could pose a greater challenge to first-time test takers. The state-run coaching centre saw 320 of its candidates appear for the Mains, comprising 220 full-time and 100 part-time aspirants.