UPSC conducts Civil Services Preliminary exam today; aspirants share their preparation and thoughts
New Delhi [India], May 25 (ANI): The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is conducting the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination on Sunday. The exam marks the first stage of the selection process for India's coveted civil services.
Aspirants reached exam centres across the national capital early in the morning, sharing their thoughts and experiences as they prepared to take the test.
Speaking to ANI, an aspirant Sakshi Chaturvedi said, 'It is a very big day for me. I have prepared well and worked very hard for the examination. This is my second attempt.'
Another aspirant, Deepak Singh, a candidate from Gorakhpur, said, 'Today is the UPSC exam. We are getting ready to go. The preparation always feels incomplete; there's always a thought that one more revision could have been done. Anyone who says they are 100 per cent ready is either a genius or not studying at all. That feeling of self-doubt never goes away.'
He added that this was his second attempt and emphasised that the journey of preparation often involves a constant cycle of anxiety and motivation. 'There is always some fear. But ultimately, you have to trust your own preparation,' he said.
Meanwhile, another first-time aspirant from Gujarat, Ana James, shared her mix of hope and nervousness. She told ANI, 'This is my first attempt. I've been preparing for the past one and a half years, using various resources, including YouTube, and have studied independently.'
Sonali Moral, another first-time candidate, said that she had quit her job in the Ministry of Commerce to focus entirely on her preparation. 'I've been preparing for the past two years. I don't know what today will bring, but I'll give it my best,' she said.
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is considered one of the toughest competitive exams in India. It consists of three stages: Preliminary, Mains, and the Personality Test (Interview). (ANI)
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That is the weapon that experts say could be used to strike Iran's nuclear program, including Fordow. • The officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, declined to disclose any further details. One official said no forward orders had been given yet to move the bombers beyond Guam. They did not say how many B-2 bombers are being moved. Do You Know: • US President Donald Trump said the American military has completed airstrikes on three sites in Iran, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing conflict with Israel. 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The MOP is widely believed to be the most powerful non-nuclear weapon. • According to the US Air Force fact sheet, the MOP 'is a weapon system designed to accomplish a difficult, complicated mission of reaching and destroying our adversaries' weapons of mass destruction located in well protected facilities'. It is more powerful than its predecessor, the BLU-109. • It is designed to penetrate up to 60 metres of earth before exploding. The warhead is encased in a special high-performance steel alloy, which is meant to enable it to carry a large explosive payload while maintaining the penetrator case's integrity during impact, according to an Air Force fact sheet. The Fordo site is about 90 metres in depth. It is not clear how much damage the bombings have done in Fordo. Other Important Articles Covering the same topic: 📍'Bunker-buster' MOP and B-2: Why US bomb, stealth bomber were Israel's best chance at destroying Iran's Fordo nuclear facility 📍US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities: The radiation leak threat, explained Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter. Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – Indian Express UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for June 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Roshni Yadav is a Deputy Copy Editor with The Indian Express. She is an alumna of the University of Delhi and Jawaharlal Nehru University, where she pursued her graduation and post-graduation in Political Science. She has over five years of work experience in ed-tech and media. At The Indian Express, she writes for the UPSC section. Her interests lie in national and international affairs, governance, economy, and social issues. 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