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UPSC Prelims Exam disability support services and quota and accompanying relaxations aim to ensure inclusivity and equal opportunity for PwBD candidates.
PWOnlyIAS
March 20, 2025
UPSC Prelims Exam Disability Support Services are the services provided by the UPSC for ‘Persons with Benchmark Disability’ (PwBD). These services adhere to the principle of the Indian government, which is to provide every candidate with equal opportunity. As the UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 is around the corner, the PwBD students should know all the services available for them in the UPSC Exams.
UPSC Prelims Exam Disability Support Services for the UPSC candidates in the category ‘Persons with Benchmark Disability’ (PwBD) are mentioned in the official notification of the UPSC. These services ensure that these students are not only provided with a reservation for the UPSC Exam but also with the necessary assistance they require during the exam.
Let us have a look at the UPSC Prelims Exam Disability Support Services provided by the UPSC for ‘Persons with Benchmark Disability’ (PwBD).
The UPSC Civil Services Examination provides a 4% reservation for Persons with Benchmark Disabilities (PwBD) as per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. This quota is distributed across all stages of the examination, ensuring equitable opportunities for candidates with disabilities. The reservation is applicable to specified categories, including blindness, low vision, hearing impairments, locomotor disabilities, and other conditions defined under the Act.
The UPSC also provides several special facilities and relaxations to ensure PwBD candidates can compete effectively, such as fee exemptions, extended time limits, scribe facilities, and relaxed eligibility criteria.
Each eligible candidate attending the exam can make up to six (6) attempts at the CSE. However, candidates from the SC/ST/OBC and PwBD categories who meet the eligibility criteria may be granted a relaxation in the number of attempts.PwBD candidates benefit from an increased number of attempts based on their category:
| Category | Number of Attempts |
| General/EWS | 9 Attempts |
| OBC | 9 Attempts (combined with OBC relaxations) |
| SC/ST | Unlimited Attempts |
The age relaxation for PwBD candidates varies based on their category:
| Category | Maximum Age Limit |
| General/EWS | Relaxation of 10 Years (up to 42 years) |
| OBC | Cumulative relaxation of OBC + PwBD rules |
| SC/ST | Cumulative relaxation of SC/ST + PwBD rules |
Persons with Benchmark Disability (PwBD) such as blindness, locomotor disability (both arms affected-BA), and cerebral palsy will be eligible for twenty minutes of Compensatory Time per hour during the examination.
For other categories of persons with disabilities, eligibility for this provision requires presenting a certificate confirming physical limitations from the Chief Medical Officer/Civil Surgeon/Medical Superintendent of a Government Health Care institution according to the specified format in Appendix V.
Additionally, individuals with specified disabilities outlined in Section 2(s) of the RPwD Act, 2016, yet not encompassed by Section 2(r), meaning those with less than a 40% disability and facing challenges in writing, will be eligible for extra time under the condition that they provide a certificate from a competent medical authority at a government healthcare institution confirming their limitation in writing, as per the format provided in Appendix-VII.
According to the UPSC official notification for the CSE 2025, the ‘Persons with Benchmark Disabilities’ or PwBD are divided into 5 categories viz.
The table below contains the criteria for eligibility under UPSC Prelims Exam Disability Support Services for various Categories of Disability:
Eligibility Under UPSC Prelims Exam Disability Support Services
Categories of Disability
Sub-Categories
Locomotor Disability (LD)
Visual Impairment (VI)
Hearing Impairment (HI)
Multiple Disabilities from only the above three categories (MD)
The table below contains the List of Services Identified as suitable for Persons with Benchmark Disability, as per the official UPSC notification:
| Service Name | Disability Categories | Functional Requirements |
| Indian Administrative Service (IAS) | Locomotor disability, Cerebral Palsy, Acid Attack Victims, Muscular Dystrophy | S, SE, H, RW, C |
| Indian Foreign Service (IFS) | Blindness, Low Vision | MF, PP, S, ST, W, L, C, RW, KC, BN |
| Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’ | Locomotor disability, Low Vision | S, SE, H, RW, C |
| Indian Corporate Law Service, Group ‘A’ | Deaf, Hard of Hearing | D, HH |
| Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’ | Multiple Disabilities (Locomotor, Blindness, Hearing Impairment) | S, RW (Braille/software), C |
| Indian Information Service, Group ‘A’ | Locomotor Disability, Low Vision, Deaf, Hard of Hearing | S, RW, KC, BN |
| Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’ | Low Vision, Hearing Impairment | MF, PP, S, ST, W, RW, L |
| Indian Railway Management Service, Group ‘A’ | Locomotor Disability | S, SE, RW |
| Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands Civil Service | Locomotor Disability, Low Vision, Deaf, Hard of Hearing | S, RW, L, C |
| Pondicherry Civil Service (PONDICS), Group ‘B’ | Multiple Disabilities | RW (Braille/software), S, SE, C |
Key:
Candidates can apply for these services during the online registration process. They must upload necessary medical certificates as proof of their disability. Candidates requiring a scribe or extra time should specify their needs while filling out the application form. Detailed instructions will be provided in the official notification.
Disability support services play a crucial role in ensuring equal opportunities for candidates with benchmark disabilities. These services allow candidates to perform at their best without any barriers, promoting inclusive participation in the civil services examination.
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