Is UPSC rank holder Poorva Choudhary's OBC quota valid? RAS officer father speaks out on viral accusations
Facing growing scrutiny, Poorva's father, a Rajasthan Administrative Services (RAS) officer, addressed the allegations in an interview with India Today , firmly stating: 'The claim that my daughter misused the certificate is completely untrue.' He clarified that he was promoted to the RAS cadre at the age of 44, well beyond the eligibility cutoff of 40 for excluding children of Group A officers from OBC NCL benefits. According to government norms, if a parent enters a Group A post after 40, the child remains eligible—provided the family's annual income (excluding agricultural earnings) stays below ₹8 lakh. 'In the case of direct RAS recruitment before the age of 40, the OBC NCL benefit does not apply. That's not my case,' he said, urging people to understand the rules before jumping to conclusions.
But the story doesn't end at legal definitions. Poorva's father alleged that the controversy had less to do with rules and more with orchestrated online narratives. 'There's a lobby that thrives on this,' he said, hinting at certain Delhi-based social media groups. He attributed the uproar to herd mentality, with people riding the UPSC trend wave to farm engagement, likes, and followers. His statement comes amid rising online chatter over privilege, optics, and reservation dynamics—often ignoring the nuances that actually govern eligibility under constitutional provisions.
— TirhutDivision (@TirhutDivision)
Critics have also flagged alleged 'lavish' posts from Poorva's now-deleted Instagram profile, arguing that her lifestyle seemed inconsistent with a reserved-category background. However, as many netizens and policy experts point out, lifestyle optics—often misunderstood or exaggerated on social media—have no bearing on one's legal entitlement to reservation benefits. Poorva's maternal home is in Bhadra, and she hails from Bolawali village in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. She is also related to local MLA Sanjeev Beniwal, further fueling the perception-based backlash, despite no official rule violation being established.
This isn't the first time a UPSC topper has found themselves in the eye of such a storm. In 2023, IAS probationer Pooja Khedkar (AIR 841) was accused of misusing the OBC category and forging certificates. Her father's affidavit reportedly revealed assets and income far above permissible limits. The case ended in her dismissal from the civil services.
— VijayKumbhar62 (@VijayKumbhar62) However, unlike that case, Poorva's eligibility appears to be legally sound—though the online trial continues.
At its core, this is more than a bureaucratic eligibility debate. It's a story about how a celebratory moment for a young woman was turned upside down by a swirl of hashtags, half-truths, and assumptions. While Poorva may be absent from social media for now, the conversation about reservation, representation, and public scrutiny in the digital age is far from over. Whether the storm dies down or intensifies, one thing remains clear: in the era of instant virality, even a hard-earned dream can become a lightning rod overnight.
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India Today
11 hours ago
- India Today
Yes, stray dogs can be trained. Canine whisperers reveal how
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The trick worked then offered to help not just with Pratap's pet, but also with the colony's strays to lower their was then that Pratap and her family first realised that help was available, not just for pets, but also for stray dogs in India are often seen as untrainable, but experts say they can be taught to manage aggression and coexist with people, just like pet consensus from five households and collective funding of Rs 25,000, around six stray dogs in BHU's Jodhpur Colony Lane were trained to reduce their aggression by Mukherjee and his team over the following stressed that aggression management, not tricks, is their main goal while training street dogs. They said the training process for strays requires skilled behaviourists, consistent community involvement, and regular feeding to build behaviourists like Shirin Dhabhar and Shivani Sharma said the methods for training strays are the same as pedigree dogs, and age is no barrier, though younger dogs learn is a powerful tool. Regular, structured feeding not only tames aggression but also desensitises dogs to human presence, the experts continuous community commitment, trained dogs can revert to old behaviours as feral instincts eventually take over, the experts Delhi-based canine behaviourist Aaron Dsilva told India Today that he had personally put some street dogs in Delhi's Safdarjung area on a routine, where they take a walk of around a kilometre and are regularly fed by locals—a practice that has helped reduce their Dsilva said this was possible only with community support, adding, "RWAs don't have the capacity to do this."Even Mumbai-based Sharma succeeded in curbing aggression in community dogs in Juhu and Lokhandwala. Mumbai-based canine behaviourist Shivani Sharma said age is no bar to make dogs unlearn old patterns of behaviour, but younger dogs learn more quickly. (Image: India Today via Shivani Sharma) CAN TRAINING BE PART OF SOLUTION TO STRAY DOG MENACE?Strays in India are mostly Indian Pariah dogs that make fantastic guards if have served in paramilitary forces like the NDRF, CRPF, and also in police departments, proving their intelligence, resilience, and working training alone can't solve the stray dog problem, experts told India Today Digital that it should be part of the solution, combining skilled trainers, resident cooperation, and policy-level investment to make streets safer for both humans and Supreme Court recently ordered the removal of all stray dogs from Delhi-NCR streets within eight weeks and their relocation to shelters. It came after a surge in dog bite cases and rabies order sparked a massive outcry and is now being reviewed by a three-judge are divided, but experts are united in their view that training stray dogs on aggression and socialisation can be part of the overall what Pratap successfully did in her BHU DELHI GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES ON STRAY DOG PROBLEMIn fact, the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) in 2014 had a similar initiative called "May I Help You" in-house home-guards programme to train strays."If these dogs are going to roam the NDMC area, they might as well work," then-NDMC chairman Jalaj Shrivastava told The Hindu."Our plan is to adopt these strays and train them as guard dogs," he plan involved enlisting the services of police dog trainers to train stray dogs and press them into service, according to the trainers India Today Digital spoke to had trained street dogs in their own colonies out of goodwill. But large-scale implementation needs resources and numerous trainers and support said NDMC's 2014 plan was poorly implemented. "I don't remember even one instance where I came across any such (trained) dog in Delhi," Dsilva, a canine behaviourist for 19 years, said. A major cause of aggression in stray dogs is territorial fights triggered when dogs are picked up and relocated to another area. (Image for representation: PTI) CHALLENGES TO TRAINING STREET DOGS: CASH, CONSENSUSTraining dogs at the community level requires patience, money, and most importantly, a consensus among local pet dogs, street dogs cannot be removed from triggering environments, making aggression harder to control. However, aggression can often be availability is another challenge for trainers tasked with training a single dog that is not human- or dog-friendly and has behavioural issues, training may take around four weeks. For dogs with severe behavioural issues requiring rehabilitation, the time extends to six to eight weeks, the experts told India Today pet dogs is costlier, typically Rs 25,000-35,000 a month for basic community dogs, however, trainers said the rates are flexible, as most people in the profession are driven by passion, and are willing to work for the greater good, charging as little as Rs 1,000-1,200 per dog per most communities lack consensus and are unwilling to allocate the necessary should be noted that in this context, "training" refers specifically to aggression management, not full obedience AND QUICK STRAY DOGSIn terms of trainability, Shirin Dhabhar, said, "They are some of the cleverest dogs in the world and very easy to work with. They're smart, they learn quickly, and yes, training is entirely possible even at the community level.""The methods of training are the same as pedigree dogs," said Dhabhar, a President of India awardee in the field of canine behaviourism."If you have a colony with dozens of dogs, you can train them all. It depends on what you want to train them for – whether it's keeping them in certain zones, preventing fights, or stopping them from chasing. It can take a couple of months, but it's doable," said Shivani Sharma, who has been working in the fields of canine behaviourism and rescue since 2014, said age was no bar to making dogs unlearn old patterns of behaviour. However, the younger the dogs are, the better the TO MANAGE STRAY DOGS IN RESIDENTIAL AREASShivani Sharma has helped manage dog aggression in multiple communities in Mumbai, and has also helped societies find common ground during disputes between feeders and non-feeders."Aggression in street dogs can be managed to the point where they are under control," said Sharma, adding a rider."This may not be the case for every stray dog as they live in an exposed environment and they have multiple triggers."The fact that pets can be isolated from triggers is what differentiates them from street dogs when it comes to aggression management."Pet dogs can be removed from a triggering environment, such as constantly moving objects and loud noises; community dogs can't. Repetitive triggers make it harder to control street dogs' exposure to these stressors," Sharma AS A TOOL TO TRAIN AND MANAGE STREET DOGSFeeding is one of the most effective ways to tame aggression in street dogs, trainers and behaviourists told India Today Digital. Most fights or biting incidents happen because of the dearth of food, they said. Another cause is territorial fights triggered when dogs are picked up from one area and relocated to another, something activists have long blamed municipal corporations explained, "I have noticed that, over a long period of regular feeding, some form of desensitisation happens." By this, she means that if food is given regularly by multiple humans, dogs begin to see their association with people as positive and eventually become less reactive. Experts suggest if food is given regularly to a dog by multiple humans, they begin to see their association with humans as a positive one. (Image for representation: PTI) In some societies, she said, dogs displaying mild aggression were also given behavioural modification through structured feeding. "We also asked feeders to alter feeding times, so the dogs don't have to interact with people during busy hours, such as when children are boarding or getting off school buses," said added, "People around must be aware of the dogs' temperament. We have run awareness drives, instructing security guards, shopkeepers, and residents to warn people about certain dogs who don't like too much human interaction."On whether community dogs can be fully trained, she said, "To an extent, yes. You can have a well-managed pack that is desensitised, medically looked after, and fed regularly so they coexist with human activity."PEOPLE AND STREET DOGS: IT TAKES A COMMUNITY TO COEXISTMost communities avoid training strays to manage aggression as they believe it is too costly or requires consistent on-ground effort."You can't expect people who don't like dogs to pay for training. Instead of spending money on legal battles, put it into something positive," said Dsilva said, "The key is not just working with the dogs but also with the people living there." Communities that make consistent efforts to care for stray dogs witness significantly less aggression. (Image for representation: PTI) In areas where training and routines were maintained, "dogs became calmer, friendlier, and less reactive", said most trainers India Today Digital spoke to said the problem is multi-layered and cannot be solved through training alone, they agreed it can be part of the solution, especially in areas where animal lovers are ready to take stray dogs isn't just about curbing aggression. It's about creating safer streets for people and giving these animals a chance to coexist peacefully in the spaces they share with humans. From a policy perspective, involving canine behaviourists and allocating budgets for training dogs to manage aggression is one way to address the dog menace across India.- EndsTune InMust Watch advertisement
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
UPSC EPFO recruitment 2025: Registration for 230 vacancies ends tomorrow, details here
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Time of India
17 hours ago
- Time of India
Deen Dayal Upadhyay hostel set to accommodate 1k post-matriculation students
Mysuru: The multi-storied Deen Dayal Upadhyay hostel, aiming to help over 1,000 boys and girls, studying in post-matriculation, is all set for inauguration in Saraswathipuram, in the city. The department of social welfare, other backward classes, and minority welfare have jointly constructed this hostel at the cost of Rs 82.5 crore opposite Saraswathipuram police station on a plot belonging to the University of Mysore. The facility will help students from the economically weaker section, seeking hostel facility in Mysuru. The department of public works, which took up the construction of the four-storied hostel complex, have almost completed it and handed it over to the respective social welfare department, other backward classes, tribal welfare, and minority welfare department for the allotment of hostel facilities to students seeking occupancy. The hostel work started in the first week of June 2023. Two multi-storied buildings were constructed separately for post-matriculation boys and girls. Each building has two undergraduate blocks for accommodation of 600 students and one post-graduation block for accommodation of 400 students. It has facilities like toilets, bathrooms, dining, and kitchen. Even though the OBC department has set up both 43 pre-matric and post-matric hostels, the department receives 5,500 applications from community students seeking admissions to its hostels spread over different locations in the city every year. However, the department was able to accommodate hostel facilities for 60% of its applicants, leaving 40% deprived of hostel facilities and facing challenges in admissions to all. The minority welfare department also received 2,500 applications from students seeking hostel facilities for its 14 post-matric hostels in the city. This department also fails to provide admissions to all due to a scarcity of facilities. The social welfare department also received 5,000 applications for its 30 hostels, and the scheduled tribal welfare department received 700 applications for its students in four hostels. Speaking to TOI, PWD executive engineer Padhmanabha said that the department completed the construction of these two buildings and handed them over to the departments concerned. District tribal welfare officer MK Mallesh said that the construction of the hostel in Saraswathipuram will help accommodate post-matriculation students in the city. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
