NationalSaturday, 22 August 2026·Hindu Tamil Thisai
UPSC Civil Services Main Exam 2026 begins in Chennai: 933 vacancies, 646 candidates in Tamil Nadu
The UPSC Civil Services Main Examination began in Chennai on Aug. 21, 2026, with 646 candidates in Tamil Nadu and 933 vacancies nationwide.
Key highlights
Direct fact
On August 21, 2026, the UPSC Civil Services Main Examination began in Chennai for IAS, IPS and IFS posts, with 646 candidates appearing in Tamil Nadu and 933 vacancies notified for the 2026 recruitment cycle.
Key specifics
- The Civil Services Examination is conducted in 3 stages: Preliminary, Main and Interview.
- The 2026 notification was issued on February 4, 2026 for 933 posts.
- In the Preliminary exam held on May 24, 2026, 13,343 candidates across India qualified for the Main exam.
- Tamil Nadu had 651 qualifiers in the Preliminary stage, according to the report.
- In Chennai, 646 candidates wrote the Main exam at 3 centres, including Ezhumbur State Girls Higher Secondary School.
Exam lens
Question type: Polity and governance, UPSC process, exam stages, vacancy and qualifier numbers. TNPSC one-liner: UPSC Civil Services has 3 stages, and the 2026 notification covered 933 vacancies.