Breaking the Class Ceiling :50 Muslims clear UPSC exams, Kashmiri Gets 10th rank

New Delhi: Of the total 1,099 successful candidates in the final list of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, 50 Muslims have made it to this year’s result, with Bilal Mohiud Din Bhat from Kashmir bagging the tenth rank. The number of Muslim candidates is higher than over the past few years. In 2016, 36 Muslims had cleared the exams, while the number stood at 38 in 2015, 34 in 2014 and 30 in 2013.

The issue of the low presence of Muslims, Dalits and Adivasis in India's civil services has been a matter of concern for all those concerned with deepening of democratic institutions and a polict of inclusion and diversity
Apart from Bilal who tops, nine Muslims have made it to the top 100 ranks. Those in top 50 include: Muzammil Khan (22), Sheikh Tanveer Asif (25), Hamna Mariyam (28), Zaffar Iqbal (39) and Rizwanbasha Shaikh (48). Seventeen Muslims feature in the Top 500.

The selected UPSC candidates are recommended for various government posts which include Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and several other allied services.

Although Muslims comprise 13.4% of total population, they are dismally represented in the top government services, often due to lack of education and unavailability of resources. They account for about 2% in the civil services. The 2005 Sachar Commission report showcased the low presence of Muslims in India's formal sector, raising the issue of the existence of institutionalised prejudice, six decades after indepedence.

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the final result of the 2016 civil services examinations on Wednesday evening. Like previous years, this year too a woman, Nandani KR, has topped the exam. Others in the top five are Anmol Sher Singh,  Gopala Krishna, Sauyma Pandey and Abhilash Mishra.

Successful Muslim Candidates for UPSC Result-16