UPSC rank 113 turns into mystery as two candidates named Shikha stake claim

A controversy has emerged over Rank-113 in the Civil Services Examination, the results of which were recently declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC), after two candidates named ‘Shikha’ claimed the same position in the final merit list.

One of the claimants is Shikha, a resident of Delhi who is currently posted as Block Development and Panchayat Officer (BDPO) at Sampla in Rohtak district, while the other Shikha hails from Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

The issue surfaced after a video report circulated on social media claiming that Shikha from Bulandshahr had secured Rank 113 in the UPSC examination.

Soon after, Shikha, the BDPO, also asserted that the name “Shikha” appearing at Rank 113 in the UPSC merit list referred to her.

Speaking to The Tribune, the BDPO said the UPSC merit list contains only one candidate named Shikha and that the roll number mentioned in the list belongs to her.

“I have already sent an email to the UPSC along with my admit cards and links to the social media posts, urging it to issue a clarification so that the confusion among people can be cleared. However, I have not yet received any response from the UPSC,” she said.

Shikha completed her Bachelor’s degree in Economics (Honours) from Delhi and developed an interest in the civil services after learning about successful candidates through media reports every year. She began preparing for the examination after completing her graduation.

“I had also cleared the Combined Defence Services (CDS) examination with Rank 7, but did not join as I was selected in the Haryana Civil Services in the same year. I joined the Haryana Government in May 2025 and have been posted at Sampla since July 2025,” she added.