PM Modi’s Praise For Pratibha Setu Gives Extra Push To Job Aspirants

Notably, on June 25 this year, The Secretariat broke the story about the programme. UPSC's Pratibha Setu aims to support Civil Services Examinations (CSE) aspirants who narrowly missed making it to the final merit list.

As part of the programme, the PM described the UPSC exams as one of the most challenging competitive tests in the country and referred to the inspiring journeys of several aspirants.

In the address, the PM said, “My dear countrymen, you must have heard the name of the UPSC. This institution conducts the CSE, one of the toughest exams in the country. All of us have heard many inspiring stories from the Civil Services toppers. Young people study under difficult circumstances and, through hard work, get a place in this service. But friends, there is another truth about it.”

He went on to add that thousands of such candidates are very capable; their hard work is no less than that of those who qualify, but they are unable to reach the final list by a small margin. “These candidates have to prepare afresh for other exams. That cost both their time and money. That is why, now a digital platform has been created for such sincere students.” 

The PM said, “Pratibha Setu stores the data of those candidates who cleared all the stages of various exams of UPSC, but their names did not appear in the final merit list.” 

Huge Existing Database

According to officials in the UPSC, Pratibha Setu already has a database of over 10,000 such talented youth, which can be accessed by public and private sector recruiters 

“The platform was launched in June 2025. It was previously known as the Public Disclosure Scheme and has been in operation since 2018. The new portal comes with login IDs for organisations to voluntarily select or recruit candidates from the non-recommended list. Private organisations can also register through the UPSC’s portal,” a senior official said. 

The portal allows verified employers, including ministries, PSUs, autonomous bodies, and private companies, to access details of the willing candidates for recruitment. It features dashboards for shortlisting, documentation, and candidate profiles with educational qualifications and contact details. 

Examinations covered under this scheme include the Civil Services, Forest Service, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), Engineering Services, Combined Defence Service (CDS), and others.

According to the UPSC official, Pratibha Setu is set to become popular. “Noteworthy here to mention that institutions like IIM Udaipur are already recognising the talent of UPSC aspirants, who clear the Civil Services (Main) examination, by exempting them from submitting CAT, GMAT, or GRE scores while applying for its PhD programme in Organisational Behaviour and Human Resource Management,” he said. 

The official said that interest from among employers has been quite encouraging, as their numbers are steadily going up. “Over a hundred organisations have already registered on the platform, with several more approaching the UPSC to access the pool of candidates,” he noted.