Story perspectives

Modi urges civil services exams test public motivation

By Drooid · Oct 2, 2026, 10:27 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the UPSC centenary at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on October 1, 2026.
Modi noted that freedom-fighter Subhas Chandra Bose wrote the 1920 UPSC examination in Sanskrit.
He released a commemorative coin, a postage stamp and a book titled “100 Landmark Judgements…”.
He urged the civil-service exam assess candidates’ public-service motivation and complex problem-solving abilities.

History

Historical Context

The Union Public Service Commission, created on 1 October 1926 under the British Raj, introduced India’s first nationwide civil-service exam and now processes millions of candidates—1.3 million applied in 2023 for 1,255 posts. Prime Minister Narendra Modi marked its 100th anniversary in October 2026 at Delhi’s Bharat Mandapam, unveiling a commemorative coin, stamp and book to spur modernisation.

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Story summary

Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the UPSC centenary at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, on October 1, 2026.
Modi noted that freedom-fighter Subhas Chandra Bose wrote the 1920 UPSC examination in Sanskrit.
He released a commemorative coin, a postage stamp and a book titled “100 Landmark Judgements…”.
He urged the civil-service exam assess candidates’ public-service motivation and complex problem-solving abilities.

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