A video of famous YouTuber and reality TV personality Elvish Yadav giving a speech to UPSC aspirants selected candidates recently surfaced on social media and has drawn criticism from netizens.
Elvish or Siddharth Yadav gained widespread recognition as the winner of Bigg Boss OTT 2, but his fame has been marred by controversy for making sexist and offensive remarks towards fellow entertainers and even being accused of bringing snake venom to rave parties.
In his speech at an event organised by a private coaching centre, Yadav first congratulated all the candidates and said that the entire community and the country were proud of them. He further narrated his own experience with UPSC, stating that his mother wanted him to become an IAS officer.
“Mai mummy ko hamesha bolta tha ki mummy UPSC mein toh bahot padhna padta hai. Chaudah-chaudah ghanta bache padhte hai. Bees-tees ghanta padhte hai. Mobile use nahi karte. Mai toh aisa nahi hu. Toh mere se kabhi UPSC nahi ho payega. (I always told my mother that UPSC is a lot of studying, children study for 14-20 hours, do not use their mobile phones, and I’m not like that. I won’t be able to study for the UPSC exam.)”
He further stated that his mother believed that becoming an IAS officer was his destiny. “But mummy meri ek cheez bolti thi ki meri kundli mein hai ki tu IAS officer banega magar mai kabhi paper ke liye baitha nahi kyu ki mujhe pata tha bahut mushkil paper hai (My mother always used to say that becoming an IAS officer was in my destiny, but I never attempted the exam because I was aware of its difficulty).”
He added that attending the event has inspired him and shared his plans to attempt the UPSC exam next year. “Mujhe pata hai nahi hoga…agar nahi hua tho iske upar ek gana bana dunga (I know I will not be able to clear it. If I don’t clear the exam, I will write a song about it),” he said.
Criticism erupted on social media over the decision to invite a controversial figure to motivate UPSC aspirants, with many questioning the message it sends.
“Imagine studying your arse off, preparing for one of the most prestigious and credible exams in the country, and then someone like this is brought in—someone who’s been behind bars, drives recklessly, has no education, uses crass language, and influences the youth with nothing but fights and abusive behaviour—to deliver a motivational speech!” wrote one user on X.
Another commented, “So freaking true. Entertainment and education should remain separate. He is simply not the right person to inspire UPSC candidates.”
Someone else added, “Sorry, but IAS officers are supposed to be trained to take the venom out of snakes, not inject it.”
In response to the backlash, some attempted to clarify the context behind the invitation. One user explained that the event was organised by the Yadav community.
“The event was titled ‘Yadujan Gaurav Samman Samaroh’ and was organised by the Pradaksh Foundation and the Akhil Bhartiya Yadav Mahasabha. It was meant to celebrate high achievers from the Yadav community across various fields,” read one post on X, which now stands deleted.
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