Photo and Signature Guidelines for UPSC Form – Don’t Get Rejected

One of the top reasons for UPSC form rejection is incorrect photo or signature. Photo must be 3.5 cm width x 4.5 cm height. Background should be white or light color. No caps, goggles, or shadows. Face should cover 70-80% of the frame. Signature on white paper with black pen. Signature size: 3 cm x 6 cm. File format: JPG or JPEG. File size: photo between 20KB to 300KB, signature between 10KB to 200KB. Name and date should NOT be written on the photo. Use a simple phone camera but ensure good lighting. After uploading, use the preview option. If blurry, re-upload. Many candidates use scanned passport photos – that's fine. For official specs, visit https://upsc.gov.in/sites/default/files/Notice_IFR_Eng_09012025.pdf. Also, keep the same photo for all future stages (mains interview). Change in appearance? Update with new photo but same format.