Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) has deferred the civil services preliminary exam in view of the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country. The UPSC CSE Prelims exam was earlier scheduled to be held on June 27. The UPSC civil services prelims exam 2021 has been deferred to October 10. 

UPSC civil services prelims exam postponed

Candidates who have applied for the UPSC CSE prelims exam will now appear for their preliminary exam on October 10. A fresh timetable and admit card will be issued accordingly, in the due course of time. In the year 2020 also, UPSC had to postpone the CSE Prelims exam 2020 to October 4. 

"Due to the prevailing conditions caused by the Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19), the Union Public Service Commission has deferred the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination, 2021, which was scheduled to be held on 27th June 2021. Now, this Examination will be held on 10th October 2021," reads the official notice on the UPSC website.  In the year 2020 as well, UPSC had to defer the civil services preliminary exam due to the COVID-19 outbreak. 

UPSC Main Exam postponed too

With the postponement of the UPSC Prelims exam, the main exam has also been pushed forward. However, the new date for UPSC civil services main exam has not been announced yet. As per the annual calendar of UPSC, the main exam is scheduled for September 17. UPSC main exam is conducted after the results of the prelims exam are declared. Hence, the UPSC main exam can not be held on September 17.

UPSC had started the online application process for CSE prelims on March 4, 2021. The last date to apply for the UPSC Prelims exam was March 24. Every year around seven to eight lakh Indians apply for UPSC civil services exams. This year, UPSC has notified a total of 712 vacancies in various departments.