A group of UPSC aspirants has formally approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) to contest the validity of 27 questions featured in the recent Civil Services Preliminary examination. The petitioners argue that these specific questions are flawed, citing either factually incorrect answer keys or significant ambiguity in the phrasing of the questions themselves.

The UPSC Preliminary examination serves as the initial screening stage for the prestigious Civil Services Examination in India. Because the exam is highly competitive, even minor variations in scoring can determine whether a candidate qualifies for the subsequent Main examination. The legal challenge highlights ongoing concerns among students regarding the quality control and accuracy of the examination board's assessment process.

While the tribunal process is now underway, the UPSC has not yet issued a detailed public response addressing each of the 27 contested items. Historically, the UPSC maintains that its expert committees review all challenges to answer keys before finalizing results. However, the current litigation underscores a growing trend of candidates seeking judicial intervention when they believe the examination process lacks the necessary precision or fairness. The outcome of this tribunal hearing could potentially impact the cutoff scores and the list of candidates eligible to proceed to the next stage of the selection process.