News Outlets Incorrectly Claim UPSC 2021 Top Four Ranks Bagged By Women

Several news outlets misleadingly reported claiming that the top four rank holders in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) 2021 exams are women, falsely misidentifying the fourth rank holder as a woman.

The results for the 2021 civil services examination were anounced on May 30, 2022 with the UPSC saying that 685 candidates cleared the exams. The results show that the top three ranks were secured by women candidates and the fourth rank was held by a male candidate -Aishwarya Verma. Verma's name led to several news outlets mistaking him for a woman and publishing news reports that the top four rank holders were women.

The Economic Times reported that all the top four ranks were bagged by women and misindetified Verma as a woman.

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The same was also misreported by CNN News 18 with an article with the headline, "UPSC Civil Services 2021 Result LIVE Updates: Top 4 Ranks Secured by Girls, Check Merit List"

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Also Read: Fake Twitter Accounts Impersonating UPSC Topper Shruti Sharma Crop Up

FACT-CHECK

BOOM found news reports and interviews of Aishwarya Verma, who secured fourth rank in the UPSC 2021 civil services examination with reports state that he is a male candidate from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. We also found photos of Verma in these interview reports.

The Times Of India interviewed Verma reporting that he is from Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh who is currently living with his banker father in Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh. The news report also includes a photo of Verma with the headline of the article reading, "Ujjain's Aishwarya Verma is UPSC topper among men"

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We also found tweets by journalists stating that Verma is a male candidate and not a woman as being claimed on social media.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister had also congratulated Verma addressing him as a male candidate from Ujjain.