India, May 22 -- The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Thursday said over 23,000 civil services aspirants have opted for three newly introduced examination centres as part of efforts to decongest venues for examination.

With the addition of centres at Bhubaneshwar, Kanpur, and Meerut, the total number of examination centres for the civil services (preliminary) examination has increased from 80 to 83, the Commission said.

"Nearly 23,000 candidates have applied to these new centres, easing the rush at the adjoining centres for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination-2026," the UPSC said in a statement.

The civil services exam is conducted annually in three stages - preliminary, mains, and interview - for recruitment to servi...