What's the row behind UPSC rank-holder Poorva Chaudhary 'misusing' quota
What's the story
Poorva Chaudhary, one of the latest achievers of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam, is now under fire for allegedly misusing the reservation quota for Other Backward Classes (OBC). After securing a stunning 533rd rank and being lauded on social media, she has now deactivated her Instagram account following the controversy. The debate was triggered when netizens found she had used the OBC-NCL (Other Backward Classes-Non-Creamy Layer) quota.
Accusations
What are the allegations
The basis of the allegations against Chaudhary was the socio-economic status of her family. Her father works in the Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS), prompting some to accuse Chaudhary of using the OBC quota to clear UPSC while not being eligible for it. "Poorva Choudhary a recent UPSC qualifier having a bag worth ₹4 lakh along with a premium lifestyle which includes international trips," read one post on X (formerly Twitter). "Her father is an ADM. Still she used OBC-NCL certificate."
Twitter Post
Check out user's comment here
Poorva Choudhary a recent UPSC qualifier having a bag worth Rs 4 lakhs along with a premium lifestyle which includes international trips.
— Tirhut Index (@TirhutDivision) May 1, 2025
Her father is an ADM.
Still she used OBC-NCL certificate to qualify the exam.
Another day another scam in UPSC@DoPTGoI @UPSC_Official pic.twitter.com/GHsx6z2X1C
Support
What did her father say
In response to the backlash, Chaudhary's father, Omprakash Saharan, has defended his daughter's actions and refuted the allegations. Saharan, who is posted as an Additional District Collector in Kotputli, Rajasthan, clarified that people misunderstood the rules. "In the case of direct RAS recruitment before the age of 40, the OBC NCL benefit does not apply. I became an RAS officer at 44. So, the claim that my daughter misused the certificate is completely untrue," he told India Today.
Explanation
Clarification on eligibility criteria
Saharan further clarified that the same rule applies to appointments/promotions in Class I government jobs. "If done before 40, the child becomes ineligible for OBC NCL. That's not my case," he clarified. The controversy erupted after Poorva's sister posted a congratulatory message on Instagram celebrating her feat. The post went viral but drew criticism after users noticed "OBC" on the official results and questioned her eligibility based on her father's position.
Conditions
Information on eligibility and income requirement
Some users pointed out that Chaudhary's father was promoted to RAS (a Group A post) at 44, technically bringing her within the eligibility window for OBC-NCL benefits. According to government guidelines, children of Group A officers (promoted after 40) are still eligible for reservation benefits if their family's (excluding agricultural income) income is below ₹8 lakh annually.