Previously debunked claims about Anjali Birla, daughter of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla clearing the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination without appearing for it have resurfaced on social media. The claims further state that Anjali Birla was a model by profession earlier and was able to crack the UPSC in the first attempt because of her father's influence.
BOOM had fact checked the same false claims earlier in 2021 when they went viral with photographs of Anjali and Om Birla. We found that Anjali Birla had cleared both the prelims and main exams of UPSC.
The claim has been shared on X by a parody handle of popular YouTuber Dhruv Rathee.
Click here to view an archive of the post.
The same false claims are also circulating on Facebook with captions in Hindi and Bangla. Click here, here for archives of posts.
Fact Check
Did Anjali Birla clear the UPSC exam without appearing for it?
BOOM had in 2021 gone through the What's New section of the UPSC website and found a notification on the Reserve List of Civil Services Examination (2019). Anjali Birla's name can be found in the 67th serial number of the Reserve List. See more here.
The UPSC site also clarified what a 'Reserve List' is in the Civil Services Examination and how it is applied. The communique stated that the Reserve List is not a waiting list. The first Main results constitute of candidates from the general category and reserved category who qualify based on their own merit and not availing any concession or relaxation in eligibility or selection criteria. The Commission simultaneously maintains a consolidated Reserve List of candidates comprising of general and reserved categories, ranking below the first Main exam qualifiers. The Reserved List candidates are eligible for subsequent recommendation enabling them to choose a service of higher preference.
BOOM also found that Birla had cleared the prelim and main examinations. We found Birla's role number 0851876 in the list of qualified candidates in the UPSC Preliminary Examination and the Main examination.
Claims insinuating Birla cleared the UPSC exam because of her father's political career, are also misleading.
In an interview with the NDTV, Birla said, "I was taken aback that I have to explain after giving an exam that I did study for it. But I feel it made me stronger because later on I would face such unfounded criticism even more in life. It made me mature as a person. I was honest to myself the entire time. My near and dear ones know how hard I worked."
Further, several posts have falsely claimed that Birla was a model prior to joining the civil services. We found that Birla is working in the Ministry of Railways and is the co-founder of two NGOs in Kota, Rajasthan - Aanya Foundation and Podha Hari.
Aanya Foundation works in the field of women development. Podha Hari had been involved in zero cost plantation. BOOM also reached out to Naman Maheshwari, co-founder of Podha Hari, who dismissed the claims that Birla was a model prior to becoming a civil servant.