The National Students' Union of India (NSUI) alleges that 82 of the 100 questions in the 2026 UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination matched coaching material [1].
The allegation suggests a potential breach of one of India's most competitive examinations. If proven, the leak would compromise the integrity of the civil service selection process and disadvantage candidates who do not use specific private tutoring services.
According to the NSUI, the questions in the exam were identical to content previously uploaded by Anantam IAS [1, 2]. The union said that this level of similarity indicates a possible paper leak. The organization is now seeking a formal investigation into the matter to determine how the material was mirrored in the official test [1].
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) manages the recruitment process for the highest tiers of the Indian administration. The preliminary exam serves as the first filter for thousands of applicants. The NSUI said the current situation raises significant concerns about the fairness of the examination process [1].
Anantam IAS is the coaching institute identified by the union as the source of the matching material [1, 2]. The NSUI has called for a probe to ensure that the 2026 examination cycle remains transparent and equitable for all participants [1].
No official response from the UPSC or Anantam IAS was included in the initial reports regarding these specific allegations [1, 2].
“82 of the 100 questions in the 2026 UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination matched coaching material”
This allegation highlights the growing influence of private coaching institutes on standardized testing in India. If a high percentage of exam questions are found in proprietary materials, it creates a systemic bias toward students who can afford expensive coaching, regardless of whether a formal leak occurred. A government probe would be necessary to determine if the UPSC sourced questions from existing materials or if the institute gained illicit access to the exam paper.
