Several candidates who were selected through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam in 2025 had defrauded the EWS quota, which is meant for poor, general category students. The revelations were made in an investigative report published by The Indian Express.
The newspaper found that out of 104 candidates who were selected last year, 64.4% went to expensive coaching institutes, 44.4% studied at private schools, 36.9% had parents who ran businesses, and about 9.6% of them had corporate jobs.
The Indian Express had investigated the coaching institute records, school and college details and social media profiles of these candidates.
According to the paper, at least 84 candidates took formal civil services coaching, and 67 of them went to well-known institutes in Delhi, where fees can be up to ₹2.65 lakhs. About 46 candidates selected through the EWS quota attended private schools, where fees ranged from ₹45000 to ₹1.5 lakhs per annum.
The Indian Express found that at least 28 candidates had parents who owned businesses, ranging from shops to confectionery. Around 10 candidates worked in the corporate sector, including multinational firms. Around 14 candidates held graduate or postgraduate degrees from NITs and IITs. At least 27 candidates attended the Delhi University, while 3 studied at the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU).
For the unversed, to be eligible for the EWS quota, you must have a family income of less than ₹8 lakhs per year. The investigative report has raised serious questions about the lack of robust due diligence by the Union Public Service Commission.
While speaking about the matter to The Indian Express, ex-Secretary of the DoPT said, “If well-to-do individuals corner this benefit, the entire purpose of EWS reservation will be defeated.”
