India TV Fact Check: Anjali Birla, the daughter of 18th Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and known for her contribution to social service, who became an IAS officer in 2021, is once again facing trolling on social media. Despite her exemplary success, rumours are spreading on social media that she was made an IAS officer without taking the exam. India TV's fact-check found these claims to be baseless.
What was the claim?
Many Twitter and Facebook users have accused Anjali Birla of favouritism in becoming an IAS officer. Some have even claimed that she did not take the UPSC-CSE exam. Some users hinted that she achieved this position because of her father who is a Lok Sabha Speaker.
Similar claims can be seen here and here.
What was found in the investigation?
India TV's fact-check team decided to get to the bottom of these claims, for which we started looking for old cut-offs on the UPSC website. That's where we found the truth. Before that, we want to inform you that after every civil service exam, UPSC prepares two lists - the main list and the reserve list. While the main list is released immediately, the reserve list is released after all the candidates from the main list have been allocated the available vacancies. This process is clearly laid out under Rules 16 (4) and (5) of the Civil Services Examination Rules, 2019.
After allocating posts to the candidates from the main list, the remaining vacancies are filled by selecting candidates from the reserve list based on merit.
The UPSC reserve list is not a reservation quota list, but a second merit list or a waiting list. The number of candidates selected from this list depends on how many reserved category candidates in the main list have met the general category standards.
Fact Check
Now, speaking of facts, we found the cut-off list for 2019 on the UPSC website. It revealed that in 2019, there were 927 vacancies, and the mains results announced in August 2020 included 829 candidates. The remaining positions were filled from the reserve list. This means that 98 reserved category candidates met the general category standards in the 2019 UPSC-CSE. Out of these, 89 candidates did not opt for the seats available for the general category, which remained vacant.
Fact Check
Then, in January 2021, a reserve list was released with 89 candidates' names. Anjali Birla's name was at the 67th position in this list, as per the official UPSC record. This list included 73 general, 14 OBC, 1 EWS, and 1 SC category candidates.
Fact Check
What was the conclusion?
This clearly shows that she took the UPSC exam and passed all stages to become an IAS officer. The claims made against Anjali Birla on social media are baseless; she achieved this position through her capability.
