LUCKNOW: The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday finally came out with a clarification over the controversy surrounding rank 301 in the Civil Services Examination 2025 after two aspirants with the same name had both staked a claim to it following the announcement of the results on Friday.
Dr Akanksha Singh from Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh and Akanksha Singh from Ara in Bihar, the granddaughter of Brahmeshwar Singh, alias Brahmeshwar Mukhiya, founder of the banned militia Ranvir Sena, both claimed that they had secured the 301st rank.
In a Facebook post, Dr Akanksha Singh from Ghazipur wrote, "It has come to light that my rank and identity are being impersonated by others." She attached two documents that she claimed were her original ID and e-summons.
She said in a video that she was a gynaecologist by profession, currently practising at Patna AIIMS. “I have learned that another girl is claiming the 301st rank. This video is just for clarification. If one scans the QR code on both the admit cards, the matter will be very clear."
She claimed that she appeared in all three exams -- prelims, mains and PT, with the same roll number. "I am confident about that and, at the same time, very humbled that my name has come in the list," she added.
Meanwhile, Akanksha Singh from Ara also claimed that she secured the 301st rank in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025 in her second attempt.
"I was confident about securing the result this time around. This was my grandfather's dream. He had a lot of belief in me," she said in a video interview, widely shared on social media.
She claimed that she studied for 8-10 hours daily during her preparation. "I used to study 8-10 hours a day. My parents played a great role in my success. Last year, when I failed to clear the exam, they kept supporting me without any frustration or anger," she said.
Doubling down on her claims, she said she has all the documents to prove she is the candidate who cleared the exam. She even presented an admit and claimed she had sent an e-mail to UPSC for her e-summons.
However, in the admit cards retrieved through scanning the QR codes, the roll number linked to the 301st rank reportedly matched with that of the Ghazipur aspirant and not the Ara candidate.
The UPSC clarification on Monday said that Akanksha Singh, who hailed from Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, had secured Rank 301 in the final results of CSE 2025. In a press release, the UPSC also mentioned the details of the selected candidate. “Akanksha Singh, having roll no 0856794, Father- Ranjit Singh, Mother- Neelam Singh, Village Abhaipur, Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, has cleared the exam,” the recruiting body said.