In a landmark moment for UPSC, the Supreme Court has approved the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) proposal to publish provisional answer keys immediately after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. The Supreme Court bench presided over by Justices PS Narasimha and AS Chandurkar delivered the verdict recently after extensive deliberation. The bench observed that the Commission’s new affidavit represented a “conscious and well-considered decision.” Post exam, the UPSC will now open window to raise objections and challenge answer key before finalising results. Notably, the bench disposed of a batch of petitions challenging the UPSC’s earlier policy of delayed disclosure. According to the apex court, the revised mechanism effectively addresses candidates’ grievances while aligning the UPSC’s functioning with the principles of fairness, accountability, and transparency. This monumental change comes after sustained legal efforts of UPSC aspirants Vidushi Pandey and Himanshu Kumar, who lobbied for timely publication of answer scripts. The two civil services aspirants had approached the Court seeking the timely publication of answer keys, cut-off marks, and candidates’ scores. They argued that withholding these details …