New Delhi: For the first time in a 100-year history, the UPSC Chairman will speak to the aspirants directly. Candidates are eager to interact with him, ready with their questions—from delay in answer keys to age limit extension and others. ThePrint spoke to some aspirants to understand what’s on their minds.
Questions will be accepted from aspirants across the country between 28 and 30 September 2025, till 10:00 am via email. Submissions can be in both video and text formats at interactwithupsc@gmail.com. In addition, questions can be asked in real-time during 12 pm–1 pm on 1 October 2025 via social media platforms, including Twitter (X), Facebook, and Instagram, using the official hashtag #AskChairmanUPSC.
Union Public Service Commission Chairman Ajay Kumar will host the town hall on Wednesday, addressing aspirants across the country. The session will be streamed live on DD News’ YouTube channel from 12 pm to 1 pm.
For 28-year-old Saurabh Mishra, who has been preparing for UPSC for the past five years, the most important concern is the answer key for prelims.
“We have to wait an entire year to check the answer key, and sometimes it comes with disappointment. This year, three questions didn’t have answers provided—questions that could be game changers for any aspirant. I want to ask the chairman why we don’t get the answer keys immediately after the exam,” Mishra said.
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FAQs of the first UPSC town hall
Among the most frequently asked questions are those about answer keys, reforms, optional languages, certificate verification, and the use of AI.
“Why no answer key after prelims? All state PSCs release it after prelims for objections. It will increase transparency on UPSC,” wrote one aspirant on X.
Thirty-year-old Rohit Kumar will be appearing for his last attempt next year. He has been preparing for the exam for the last seven years, and he wants to ask about the age limit, the number of attempts, and the optional subjects.
“Does UPSC think the current age limit + attempts are optimal, or is it planning any change? And my other question is, how does UPSC reduce variations in mains evaluation and interview across examiners/boards? Any plans to remove optionals from the syllabus?” said Kumar.
Another aspirant, Himanshu, raised two important questions: “How are GS copies evaluated—does one expert evaluate a single copy, or do different experts evaluate it? Is AI being employed to evaluate mains copies, or is there any proposal for this?” he tweeted using #AskUpscChairman.
Some have raised concerns about the exam schedule.
“At least a one-day gap between each GS mains paper [is needed]. It’s very hectic to give two papers on the same day and prepare for another one happening the same day. This is serious.”
The UPSC Chairman shared a tweet about the town hall.
“Excited to host the first-ever UPSC Virtual Town Hall! Aspirants across India can engage with me directly on 1 Oct 2025, 12–1 PM, live on DD News YouTube,“ he tweeted.
A UPSC LinkedIn post said: “The programme will provide a unique platform for aspirants to engage with the UPSC Chairman, to seek clarifications, and gain insights into the exam processes, reforms, and innovations shaping the future of India’s most prestigious examinations.”
(Edited by Ratan Priya)