The declaration of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination 2025 final results on Friday, March 6, turned contentious almost immediately after two women sharing the identical name Akanksha Singh both claimed Rank 301 on the merit list.
According to reports that emerged shortly after the results were published, one of the claimants hails from Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, while the other is from Arrah, Bihar. What deepened the confusion was that both candidates are reportedly associated with the same roll number 0856794 listed against Rank 301 in the official UPSC result.
The controversy gained further traction when the Varanasi candidate took to social media to assert her claim, posting copies of her UPSC admit card and interview call letter. She stated that the roll number reflected in those documents matches the one published in the official results, a point that many social media users found compelling.
Meanwhile, in Arrah, Bihar, celebrations had already been underway at the home of the other Akanksha Singh. Her family publicly expressed pride over her achievement, and she herself spoke about earning the rank through hard work. She also reportedly shared her aspiration to join the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
The matter quickly spread across social media platforms, with users questioning how two candidates could simultaneously claim the same rank and roll number in one of India’s most competitive examinations. As of the time of reporting, the UPSC had not issued any official clarification on the matter.
