The number of Muslim candidates successfully becoming IAS officers in India remains low every year. This year too, Muslim candidates likely to become IAS officers stay in single digits.
The UPSC recently released the list of recommended candidates based on the results of the Civil Services Examination for the year 2023.
Eight Muslim candidates likely to become IAS officers this year
Analyzing the service allocation data from the previous year’s Civil Services Examination, it is found that only eight Muslim candidates are likely to become IAS officers this year. They are:
- NAUSHEEN (All India Rank: 9) under the general category
- WARDAH KHAN (AIR: 18) under the general category
- ZUFISHAN HAQUE (AIR: 34) under the general category
- FABI RASHEED (AIR: 71) under the general category
- SYED ADEEL MOHSIN (AIR: 157) under the EWS category
- FARHEEN ZAHID (AIR: 241) under the EWS category
- EHTEDA MUFASSIR (AIR: 278) under the EWS category
- NAZISH UMAR ANSARI (AIR: 311) under the OBC category
(Disclaimer: The above list is a compilation based on the names of candidates as mentioned in the Civil Services Final result published by the UPSC. It is pertinent to note that UPSC does not categorise students based on their religion. A few names may sound Muslim and cause confusion as they are used by people belonging to other faiths.)
However, it is crucial to note that these numbers are subject to change based on the preferences specified by the recommended candidates and the fulfillment of service eligibility criteria.
Performance in previous years
In 2022, Muslim candidates constituted a mere 2.22 percent of the total IAS officers. In previous years too, the percentage of Muslims becoming IAS officers ranged between 1 and 5 percent, significantly lower than the Muslim population percentage in India, estimated at 17.22 percent according to the 2011 census.
Following is the list of Muslim candidates who became IAS officers last year.
- Waseem Ahmad Bhat (All India Rank-7) under general category
- Aakip Khan (AIR-268) under OBC category
- Moin Ahamd (AIR-296) under OBC category
- Mohd Irfan (AIR-476) under ST category
The full list of service allocation of last year can downloaded from the official website of the Department of Personnel and Training (click here).
| Year | Number of Muslim IAS Officers | Total number of IAS officers | Percentage of Muslim IAS Officers |
| 2018 | 9 | 180 | 5 |
| 2019 | 8 | 180 | 4.44 |
| 2020 | 8 | 180 | 4.44 |
| 2021 | 3 | 180 | 1.66 |
| 2022 | 4 | 180 | 2.22 |
Stages in UPSC Civil Services Exam
The UPSC Civil Services Exam comprises three stages: prelims, mains, and interview. It is conducted annually to select officers for prestigious positions in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Foreign Service (IFS), the Indian Police Service (IPS), and other esteemed government roles.
The competition for these positions is intense as lakhs of aspirants compete for a limited number of vacancies.
The underrepresentation of Muslim candidates in the UPSC CSE is a matter of concern that needs to be addressed not only by the government but also by civil society organizations.
