NEW DELHI, October 20 — The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) activated the online submission portal on Monday for the Detailed Application Form-II (DAF-II) for candidates who qualified the Civil Services (Main) Written Examination 2026.
According to the official notification published on upsconline.nic.in, shortlisted candidates must register their service preferences (IAS, IFS, IPS, and Central Group 'A' services) alongside state cadre allocation choices between October 20 and November 5, 2026. The Commission cautioned that failure to submit DAF-II within the stipulated timeline will lead to the cancellation of candidature and debarment from the upcoming Personality Tests at Dholpur House.
The Commission reiterated that cadre allocations are governed by the Cadre Allocation Policy 2017, which groups the 26 state cadres into five geographic zones to promote national integration, balancing home state allocations with outside-cadre deployments based on composite merit rank and affirmative reservation matrices.
Constitutional mandates governing the UPSC under Articles 315 to 323, provisions regulating All India Services under Article 312 of the Constitution, the operational mechanics of the Cadre Allocation Policy 2017, and civil service ethics are core components of UPSC GS-II (Polity and Governance).