UPSC EWS Certificate Guidelines for Form Fill-Up

EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) candidates need a certificate issued by a competent authority (Tehsildar or SDM). The certificate must be in the format prescribed by the Department of Personnel and Training. It is valid for one year from issue date for UPSC. When filling the form, select EWS category and upload the certificate PDF (size up to 1MB). Important: The certificate should mention that you are not covered under SC/ST/OBC and your family income is less than Rs.8 lakh per annum. Fake certificates lead to debarment. For official format, visit https://upsc.gov.in/ews-format. Also, EWS certificate is not required at the prelims stage but mandatory at mains DAF stage. So get it ready early. This guide includes a sample and common rejection reasons.