DoPT plans unified portal and calendar for central, state exams

The Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) is planning a unified portal and a coordinated annual calendar for all central and state government recruitment examinations, aiming to end scheduling clashes and delays that have plagued millions of aspirants. Sources told both Livemint and Times of India that the portal will allow one-time registration and display all exam notifications, application forms, and a clash-free schedule, with real-time updates on postponements. The initiative follows disruptions this year, including the deferment of the UPSC Civil Services exam notification and the clash of India Post's exam with NEET-UG dates.

Livemint reports that the government also plans a centralised dashboard for coordination among agencies like UPSC, SSC, NTA, and Railway Recruitment Boards, which together handle hundreds of millions of candidates annually. The aim is to reduce the chronic delays between exam notification, result declaration, and appointment letter issuance. Central government departments currently have about 850,000 vacancies against a sanctioned strength of 4 million posts.

Times of India adds that the portal's modalities are at an advanced stage and may be finalised within a month. Candidates will need to authenticate their personal details, including Aadhaar, once, and the system will integrate dates from agencies like IBPS, PESB, and state recruitment boards. The coordinated calendar follows technical failures and administrative issues that forced SSC to cancel or reschedule exams at select venues.