The Department of Personnel and Training, Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, has declared the second iteration of service allocation to candidates recommended by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) based on the Civil Services Examination 2022. In the list, there are only four Muslim IAS officers out of 178.
The number of Muslim candidates successfully becoming IAS officers in India remains low year after year. Last year, three Muslim candidates got into the service.
The four Muslim candidates who became IAS Officers this year are:
- Waseem Ahmad Bhat (All India Rank-7)
- Aakip Khan (AIR-268)
- Moin Ahamd (AIR-296)
- Mohd Irfan (AIR-476)
This year, Waseem Ahmad Bhat became the only Muslim candidate under the general category to become an IAS officer.
Out of the three other Muslim candidates who became IAS officers this year, Aakip Khan and Moin Ahamd belong to the OBC category, and Mohd Irfan is from the ST category.
Number of Muslim candidates who becomes IAS officers in previous years
In 2021, Muslim candidates constituted a mere 1.6 percent of the total IAS officers, representing a decline from 4.4 percent in 2020. Even in previous years, 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.
| 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 |
Stages in UPSC Civil Services Exam
The UPSC Civil Services Exam comprises three stages. They are prelims, main, and interview. It is conducted annually for selecting 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.
