New Delhi: Three women feature in the top five ranks of the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024, with Shakti Dubey securing All India Rank (AIR) 1. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the final results on Tuesday. Check the full merit list here.

Dubey, a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) graduate from the University of Allahabad, topped the exam with Political Science & International Relations (PSIR) as her optional subject. She is followed by Harshita Goyal, a B.Com graduate from MS University of Baroda, who secured the second rank, also with PSIR. Shah Margi Chirag, holding a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Engineering from Gujarat Technological University, Ahmedabad, came fourth with Sociology** as her optional subject.

The top five also include Dongre Archit Parag (Rank 3), a B.Tech graduate in Electrical and Electronics Engineering from VIT, Vellore, with Philosophy as his optional, and Aakash Garg (Rank 5), a Computer Science Engineering graduate from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, who chose Sociology.

According to the UPSC, 1,009 candidates have been recommended for appointment to various civil services, including the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Police Service (IPS), and Indian Foreign Service (IFS). Among them are 284 women and 725 men.

Massive participation, tough selection

The Civil Services (Preliminary) Examination was conducted on June 16, 2024. A total of 9,92,599 candidates had applied, out of which 5,83,213 appeared for the exam. 14,627 candidates qualified for the Main (Written) Examination held in September 2024, and 2,845 candidates made it to the final stage- the Personality Test.

The final merit list is based on the cumulative performance across all three stages: Prelims, Mains, and Interview.

The top 25 candidates include 11 women and 14 men, representing a variety of academic backgrounds—Engineering, Humanities, Science, Commerce, Medical Science, and Architecture. These candidates have graduated from prestigious institutions such as IITs, NITs, VIT, JNU, University of Delhi, and University of Allahabad.

Optional subjects taken by top performers ranged from Political Science, Sociology, and Philosophy to Anthropology, Tamil Literature, Geography, Mathematics, and more.

The list of recommended candidates includes 45 Persons with Benchmark Disabilities, comprising:
- 12 orthopedically handicapped
- 8 visually challenged
- 16 hearing impaired
- 9 with multiple disabilities

This year’s result not only shows the academic caliber of India’s youth but also highlights a shift towards greater gender inclusivity and representation in the country’s civil services.

Candidates can view their results and the full merit list on the official UPSC website- www.upsc.gov.in