Does the UPSC fair with candidates that check their answer sheets?
As you know prelims is totally objective, evaluation is done objectively and there is thus negative marking in prelims. But for mains the situation is way different. There is a lot of subjectivity in mains. My point of view regarding any issue may or may not match with yours. At the same time it cannot be said that I am right and you are wrong or vice versa. Thus a lot of subjectivity. Now regarding the fairness of answer checking, you cannot say that UPSC have some specific prejudice with some specific class or group of persons. Yes there are wide variations in marks for the same answer, but these variations are based on something else. These something else you can partially control and partially you can't. Like the things that you can control is you answer writing skills - good intro, use of diagrams, good content, good conclusion etc. But the things that you cannot control is the environment of the paper checker. S/He must be above the age of 40 and thus s/he must have had a well established ideology. For example if in your answer you are supporting capitalism against socialism and the professor who is checking your paper is a staunch socialist then absolutely s/he is not going to give you as good marks as a professor who loves capitalism would give. So the point is, the factors which are not under your control, you should not worry about. Hope this helps.