New Delhi, May 18: The Union Public Service Commission, for the first time, will release the Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination 2026, soon after the Exam, to enhance transparency and uphold the highest standards of conduct of examination.

Terming it as “a new beginning”, the UPSC Chairman, Dr. Ajay Kumar, said, “For the first time, the Union Public Service Commission will release the Provisional Answer Key for the Civil Services Examination. This initiative reflects the Commission’s ongoing endeavour to bring greater transparency, responsiveness, and timely communication with candidates”. He further added, “The policy aims to make the examination process more participative while upholding its sanctity, integrity, and merit-based framework.”

After the release of provisional answer key, candidates of the Civil services examination, can submit their representations, if any, till May 31, 2026, 6PM, through a dedicated online portal i.e. “Online Question Paper Representation Portal (QPRep)” available at Candidates will be able to submit their representations by indicating the correct key as per their understanding, along with a brief description and supporting documents from three authentic sources. This will not only enable candidates to make an early and informed assessment of their performance in the examination but also provide them adequate time and opportunity to submit their representations.

All representations received from candidates will be placed before the team(s) of subject expert(s) for a comprehensive and meticulous review. These experts possess domain knowledge and subject expertise. They will carefully examine each representation, assess the supporting documents, and record their considered views regarding the correctness of the Answer Key for the concerned questions. The Answer Key will thereafter be finalized only after due consideration of all representations received.

This new reform has been introduced to address, the long-standing demand from candidates for publication of Provisional Answer Keys. This was also, in furtherance of the Commission’s commitment towards transparency, accountability, and strengthening the confidence of candidates in the examination system, the Commission has implemented the policy of publishing the Provisional Answer Keys.UPSC Chairman, Dr. Ajay Kumar terms early release of provisional answer Key, a ‘new beginning’ towards greater transparency

New Delhi, May 18: Thousands of Indian students in the Gulf studying in scores of Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE)-affiliated schools can now study Arabic under the revised language policy. The new framework is proving to be more flexible than initially expected and has eased concerns among school managements, according to Emirates media reports quoting school authorities.

The CBSE has introduced three major revised policies for Gulf and overseas schools — a newly mandated three-language formula, a specialised global curriculum and a hybrid evaluation system.

The language policy for Classes 9 and 10 had initially raised concerns about how the new rules would affect thousands of Indian students studying in schools across the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf nations from the 2026–27 academic session.

One of the major concerns among UAE schools was the requirement for students to study two native Indian languages. However, school principals said the revised guidelines provide sufficient flexibility for Gulf schools to continue teaching Arabic, while ensuring students would not have to appear for an additional board examination in the subject in Grade 10.

Pramod Mahajan, principal of Sharjah Indian School, said there was “no issue for foreign schools” under the revised policy, explaining that only one Indian native language would be mandatory for overseas institutions.

He said “R1 (First Language) can be English,” while “R2 can be Hindi, Malayalam, Urdu or Tamil,” adding that “R3 for UAE students can be Arabic.”

“R3 will not be evaluated by the board but will appear on the final mark sheet based on internal assessment and grading,” he said.

Mahajan added that CBSE’s international presence across 26 countries had been taken into account while framing the policy.

“In Grade 10, only R1 and R2 will be board-evaluated. R3 will differ from country to country, as CBSE operates in 26 nations worldwide,” he said.

He also noted that the policy includes exemptions for People of Determination and students shifting between overseas schools and India.

Educators reiterated that one of the biggest concerns was how the rule would apply to students of non-Indian nationalities studying in CBSE schools in the UAE.

Muhammad Ali Kottakkualm, principal of Cosmopolitan International Indian School, said schools had already begun preparations to implement the three-language formula, though the earlier requirement had posed challenges.

“The requirement that two of the R1, R2 and R3 should be Indian languages posed a major challenge, especially for students of other nationalities,” he said.

Srinagar, May 18:Supreme Court of India on Monday said that the conviction rate in Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) cases in Jammu and Kashmir stands at less than one percent, far lower than the national conviction rate, which is below six percent, accordibng to a report in the Live Law.

The Court also noted that UAPA conviction rates across India ranged between 1.5% and 4% between 2019 and 2023, while conviction rates in Jammu and Kashmir remained below 1%.

Referring to NCRB data placed before Parliament by the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, a bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Ujjal Bhuyan observed that these statistics point to a high probability of acquittals in such cases at the end of trial.

“Therefore , for all India figures, we have 2% to 6% conviction, meaning thereby that there is 94% to 98% possibility of acquittal in such cases in the country. In so far as the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir is concerned, the annual rate of conviction is always less than 1%. It means that at the end of the trial there is 99% possibility of acquittal in such cases”, the Court observed.

The Court referred to the low conviction rates in UAPA cases while emphasising that courts could not allow prolonged incarceration solely on the basis of allegations and held that “bail is the rule and jail is the exception” even under the anti-terror law. The Court reiterated the observation in Union of India v. KA Najeeb that Section 43D(5) of UAPA could not be used as the sole basis for denying bail, resulting in prolonged pre-trial incarceration.

“There is one more good reason why we should follow KA Najeeb. And for this we have referred to a few statistics of the last 5 years placed before the Parliament by the Minister of State for Home Affairs based on the statistics of the National Crime Records Bureau. For the 5 years 2019 to 2023, all India figures, the rate of conviction minimum is 1.5% and a maximum is 4%. Whereas in the case of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, the rate of conviction in 2019 was zero and the maximum was in 2022 – 0.89%”, the Court observed.

The Court directed release of the appellant on bail subject to conditions to be imposed by the Special NIA Court. It directed him to deposit his passport and appear before Handwara police station once every fortnight.

The Court also disapproved of the judgment in Gulfisha Fatima v. State which denied bail to Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam. The Court expressed “serious reservations” regarding various aspects of the judgment, including the direction effectively preventing the accused from seeking bail for one year.

Background

The appeal arose from a Jammu and Kashmir High Court judgment dated August 19, 2025, which had refused bail to the appellant, Syed Iftikhar Andrabi, in an NIA case alleging narco-terror activities.

The High Court had held that the prosecution material prima facie showed the appellant’s complicity in narco-terror activities and noted allegations regarding recovery of heroin and cash as well as alleged links with persons operating from across the border.

The High Court had also noted that more than 320 witnesses had been cited in the case and only a small number had been examined during trial.

Case no. – SLP(Crl) No. 1090/2026

Case Title – Syed Iftikhar Andrabi v. National Investigation Agency, Jammu

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New Delhi, May 18: Observing that bail is the rule and jail is an exception even in UAPA cases, the Supreme Court on Monday granted bail to a man facing trial in a high-profile narco-terror case for his alleged involvement in a cross-border syndicate engaged in drug trafficking and financing terror in Jammu and Kashmir.

A bench of Justices BV Nagarathna and Ujjal Bhuyan granted relief to Handwara resident Syed Iftikhar Andrabi and directed him to surrender his passport and report to the local police station once in 15 days.

The NIA is investigating the case filed in 2020 under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the IPC.

The top court said Section 43D(5) of the UAPA cannot justify indefinite incarceration and must operate subject to Articles 21 and 22. The section outlines stringent bail restrictions.

“Bail the rule and jail the exception is a constitutional principle flowing from article 21 and 22 and the presumption of innocence is the cornerstone of any civilized society governed by rule of law,” the bench said.

The apex court made it clear that its judgement in the KA Najeeb case is a binding law and cannot be diluted, circumvented or disregarded by trial courts, high courts or even by benches of a lower strength of this court.

The KA Najeeb case is a landmark Supreme Court ruling delivered in 2021 regarding bail under the UAPA.

Andrabi had challenged an order passed by the High Court of J&K and Ladakh, which dismissed his bail, saying scrutiny of cellphone records indicated that Andrabi had been in touch with terror operatives across the border.