Is UPSC rank holder Poorva Choudhary's OBC quota valid? RAS officer father speaks out on viral accusations

Economic Times

04-05-2025

A celebratory reel turned sour for UPSC 2024 topper Poorva Choudhary (AIR 533) after netizens accused her of misusing the OBC quota. Amid viral outrage, her RAS officer father clarified she remains legally eligible, having earned the status after he was promoted post-40. What began as a joyous celebration of cracking one of India's toughest exams soon turned into a storm of accusations for Poorva Choudhary, the UPSC 2024 All India Rank 533 holder. A video posted by her sister, featuring the caption 'Cleared UPSC while serving this face card,' initially drew admiration. But the mood on social media shifted drastically when eagle-eyed users noticed the letters "OBC" against her name in the results. The ensuing backlash saw Poorva accused of availing the OBC Non-Creamy Layer (NCL) quota despite allegedly not being eligible. Her celebratory post was quickly buried under an avalanche of suspicion, criticism, and moral outrage, pushing the young aspirant to deactivate or disable her Instagram account.
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.