UPSC Mains 2026: GS Papers III and IV held today across India

Candidates appeared for General Studies Papers III and IV today, as the UPSC Civil Services Main Examination 2026 continued into its third day.

General Studies Paper III, covering economy, environment, security and disaster management, was conducted in the morning, while Paper IV on ethics, integrity and aptitude was held in the afternoon.

The exam had begun on August 21 with the Essay paper, followed by General Studies Papers I and II on August 22.

After today’s papers, the exam will pause before resuming on August 29 with the qualifying Indian Language and English papers, wrapping up with the Optional Subject papers on August 30.

The nine-paper examination is held in morning sessions from 9 AM to 12 noon and afternoon sessions from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

A total of 13,343 candidates qualified for the Mains stage after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination result was declared on June 15 this year.

A total of 13,343 candidates qualified for the Mains stage after the Civil Services Preliminary Examination result was declared on June 15, with the Mains application window open from June 19 to June 28.

The UPSC Civil Services Main Examination 2026 runs across five days in total, August 21, 22, 23, 29 and 30, with papers held in morning and afternoon sessions.

The Essay paper alone was held on the opening day, August 21, with no afternoon paper scheduled that day.

General Studies Papers I and II were conducted the previous day, August 22, ahead of today’s General Studies III and IV papers.

After today’s papers, candidates get a break before returning on August 29 for the qualifying Indian Language and English papers, followed by the Optional Subject papers on August 30, the exam’s final day.

Morning sessions for the Mains examination run from 9 AM to 12 noon, with afternoon sessions from 2:30 PM to 5:30 PM.

Photo by Ramesh Lalwani, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0