UPSC plans to implement Screen Reader Software for Visually Impaired Students appearing for Civil Service Exams
The UPSC is set to implement a 'Screen Reader Software' for Visually Impaired students appearing for Civil Service Exams. It is expected to come into action in he next exam for the academic year 2026-27. A change in the question paper format is also expected to take place next year.
On October 31, 2025, the Union Public Service Commission announced that it will introduce a ‘Screen Reader Software’ in the Civil Service Exams soon. This initiative is taken for the visually impaired students who wish to appear for the Civil Service Exams. The facility will be fully available and functioning once the necessary infrastructure and testing experiments are completed. Currently, the entire process is in the talks, and the principal planning supporting the decision has been forwarded to the Supreme Court for final approval.
The UPSC has submitted an additional affidavit to the Supreme Court to inform it about the measures to be implemented to ensure all the exam centres are well equipped to support the newly introduced software. This initiative was a response to a plea highlighting the lack of adequate opportunities for persons with blindness or low vision in the Civil Service Exams.
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Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta of the Supreme Court heard the matter following a petition filed by the ‘Mission Accessibility’ organisation. As per the progress in this case, it has been decided that proper measures will be taken to make sure this facility is available for the exam applicants before the next academic session. Along with new software, the Council of the Supreme Court has also discussed the introduction of accessible question papers with diagrams and software compatibility for regional language content.
Since the UPSC does not possess its own infrastructure for conducting exams nationwide, it relies entirely on state governments and district authorities. Therefore, to introduce the ‘Screen Reader Software’ in the Civil Service Exams, urgent compliance of the district collectors, magistrates, divisional commissioners, and Chief Secretaries of various states is mandatory.
Thus, the exam pattern of the UPSC Civil Service Exam is set to witness a major change next year. Students with visual impairment will be able to appear for the entrance exams seamlessly using the newly added software and a revised question paper format.
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