Two UPSC Candidates, One Rank, One List Number: A Madhya Pradesh Mystery

Ayasha Fatima (left) and Ayasha Makrani said they had received the 184th spot.

Bhopal:

It’s one of India’s most coveted exams with thousands of rupees competing to crack it, but for two young women from Madhya Pradesh, this week’s race came down to a curious stalemate: same name, same registration number and the same range.

Both Ayasha Fatima, 23, from Dewas district and Ayasha Makrani, 26, from Alirajpur district, say they ranked 184th in the civil service exam, which is conducted by the Union Public Service Commission ( UPSC) to recruit bureaucrats for various government departments. .

The two women, who live about 200 kilometers apart, have submitted admission cards with the same registration number to support their claims. They have also filed complaints with local police and UPSC, alleging fraud and seeking clarification.

“I studied hard for two years and I will not let anyone else take my right,” Ms. Makrani told NDTV. “I want justice from the UPSC and the government.”

Ms. Fatima echoed her sentiments, saying she was surprised to learn that someone else had the same registration number as hers. “I will see to it that there is no such fraud, whatever the memo or whatever is delivered, I will go ahead,” she said.

A closer look at their admission cards reveals more discrepancies. Ms. Makrani’s card mentions the date of the personality test, a crucial component of the exam, as April 25, 2023 and Thursday. Mrs. Fatima’s card shows the same date but the day is Tuesday. According to the calendar, April 25, 2023 was Tuesday.

Also, Ms. Fatima’s card has a UPSC watermark with a QR code, while Ms. Makrani’s card looks like a plain paper printout without any QR code.

UPSC sources told NDTV that they had made the necessary corrections and that Ms. Fatima was the correct candidate. They also said that they would investigate how such an error occurred.

The civil service exam is one of the most competitive and challenging in India, with more than a million applicants competing for some 800 places each year. The exam consists of three stages: a preliminary test, a main exam, and a personality test. The entire process takes over a year to complete.