UPSC IAS Reserve List 2020 has been released on the official website upsc.gov.in. UPSC CSE Mains 2021 is scheduled to be conducted from January 7, 2022. The candidates can download the UPSC Admit card from the link shared below. The candidates who appeared in UPSC Civil Services Exam can check the reserve list from the link shared below. Also, know the difference between the UPSC Reserve List and Lateral Entry in the article below.
Every year after the UPSC (IAS) Final Results are given, after 6 months a reserve list of candidates is also released. In the article, let us understand what is a UPSC Reserve List, why is it not a waiting list, what is the effect of lateral entry posts in UPSC and details on vacancies in the UPSC CSE exam.
There is confusion among many candidates about the existence of the Reserve list in the first place. Also, the candidates seem to be unhappy as reported by many media houses about the UPSC lateral entry posts released from time to time by the commission.
What is UPSC (CSE) Reserve List?
The UPSC Reserve List is released within 6 months of the release of the UPSC Final Result every year. Many candidates confused it with the waiting list as many suggested that they got the position after the reserved list was released. The maintenance of the Reserve List is in accordance with Rule 16(2) of the Civil Service Exam Rules. It states clearly that “while making service allocation, the candidates belonging to SCs, STs and OBCs recommended against unreserved vacancies may be adjusted against reserved vacancies by the government if by this process they get a service of higher choice in the order of their preference”.
UPSC clarified also this issue this year. In its official statement, UPSC said, "It is clear that the reserve list is not a waiting list. In fact, the reserve list is necessitated in a multi-service examination to allow candidates of reserved categories to choose a service of higher preference who qualify at or above general qualifying standard without availing any concession/relaxation at any stage of the examination."
The aspirants must note that the Commission while declaring the Mains result keeps a note of the candidates who acquire the merit on or above the candidates belonging to the general category without any reservation availability. Thus in case the SC candidate scores more than the general candidate in the exam, he/she may be given a position in the open category in the general result list, but in case his name appears in the Reserve List he/she may get a better preference of his choice.
The names of the posts in which the vacancies are divided are listed below. Take a look
UPSC CSE 2022: Posts
| 1 |
Indian Administrative Service. |
| 2 |
Indian Foreign Service. |
| 3 |
Indian Police Service. |
| 4 |
Indian P & T Accounts & Finance Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 5 |
Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 6 |
Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise), Group ‘A’. |
| 7 |
Indian Defence Accounts Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 8 |
Indian Revenue Service (I.T.), Group ‘A’. |
| 9 |
Indian Ordnance Factories Service, Group ‘A’ (Assistant Works Manager, Administration). |
| 10 |
Indian Postal Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 11 |
Indian Civil Accounts Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 12 |
Indian Railway Traffic Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 13 |
Indian Railway Accounts Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 14 |
Indian Railway Personnel Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 15 |
Post of Assistant Security Commissioner in Railway Protection Force, Group ‘A’ |
| 16 |
Indian Defence Estates Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 17 |
Indian Information Service (Junior Grade), Group ‘A’. |
| 18 |
Indian Trade Service, Group ‘A’. |
| 19 |
Indian Corporate Law Service, Group “A”. |
| 20 |
Armed Forces Headquarters Civil Service, Group ‘B’ (Section Officer’s Grade). |
| 21 |
Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Civil Service, Group ‘B’. |
| 22 |
Delhi, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli Police Service, Group ‘B’. |
| 23 |
Pondicherry Civil Service, Group ‘B’. |
| 24 |
Pondicherry Police Service, Group ‘B’. |
UPSC (IAS) Exam vacancies released over the years
Every year UPSC releases vacancies that are divided into many posts. The aspirants have been complaining over years about the decreasing number of vacancies released by the Commission. Take a look at the table below to know the total number of UPSC vacancies over the past years. This year UPSC Civil Services Exam Notification 2021 has been released for 712 posts.
| UPSC (CSE) Vacancies |
Year of exam |
| 712 |
2021 |
| 796 |
2020 |
| 896 |
2019 |
| 782 |
2018 |
| 980 |
2017 |
| 1079 |
2016 |
| 1164 |
2015 |
| 1364 |
2014 |
| 1228 |
2013 |
From the table above it can be seen that the vacancies for the exam have been decreasing over the years.
UPSC CSE 2022: Breakup of vacancies
The Department of Personnel and Training is responsible for releasing the UPSC Civil Services vacancies. Out of 712 UPSC Vacancy 2021, the following breakup would be followed by the Commission: 22 vacancies would be reserved for the Persons with Benchmark Disability Category. Among these
| Type of Disability |
Number of vacancies |
| Candidates of blindness and low vision |
5 vacancies |
| Candidates who are deaf and hard of hearing |
6 vacancies |
| Candidates with locomotor disability including cerebral palsy, leprosy cured, dwarfism, acid attack victims and muscular dystrophy |
6 vacancies |
| Candidates with multiple disabilities from amongst persons under clauses (a) to (c) including deaf-blindness |
5 vacancies |
UPSC (CSE) 2022: What is Lateral Entry:
It has been three years since the Government introduced the concept of Lateral Entry in UPSC to fulfil the shortage of IAS officers. This selection process means the selection of personnel from other organizations who may be an expert in the field of job that is required to be filled. This way an experienced worker would be appointed instead of a new entrant. People have contested this approach by saying that lateral entries kill the jobs and employment opportunities for new people or job seekers. UPSC has however recruited many people through lateral entry as asked by the Government.
This was all the detail about the lateral entry and the reserved list. Aspirants can take a look at the last 10 years question papers by clicking here and also going through the quizzes here. Also if you are a UPSC aspirant subscribe to Jagran Josh for all the latest updates, study material and questions on various topics.
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