In a significant shift, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has informed the Supreme Court via affidavit that it will begin issuing provisional answer keys immediately after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination. 

Previously, the commission waited until the end of the entire recruitment cycle - after mains, interviews and final results - to publish answer keys. The move, outlined in the new affidavit, marks a departure from past practice and reflects growing demands for transparency.

According to the plan, after prelims are held, UPSC will invite representations or objections from candidates - each objection needing backing from at least three credible sources. These will be reviewed by panels of subject experts, who will finalise the keys, on which the prelims results will be based. Meanwhile, the final answer keys will still be published only after the full examination cycle concludes. 

Advocates for aspirants welcomed the decision, noting that the old method often barred candidates from effectively challenging errors before crucial cut-offs were determined. However, the implementation of this new protocol will be watched closely, especially in how UPSC handles objections and maintains the integrity of the evaluation process.