Fifty-three Muslim candidates have successfully cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2025, according to results declared by the Union Public Service Commission on Friday, March 6. The number represents a near doubling of Muslim representation compared to 2024, when only 26 Muslim candidates had made it to the final list out of 1,009 selected candidates.
Of the 958 candidates recommended this year for appointment to top civil services including the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service and Indian Police Service, four Muslim candidates broke into the top 100. A R Rajah Mohaideen secured All India Rank 7, making him the highest-ranked Muslim candidate this year. Ifra Shams Ansari secured Rank 24, Nabiya Parvez secured Rank 29 and Hassan Khan came in at Rank 95.
The overall examination was topped by Anuj Agnihotri, who secured All India Rank 1, followed by Rajeshwari Suve M at Rank 2 and Akansh Dhull at Rank 3.
How the Examination Worked
The selection process began with the preliminary examination held on May 25, 2025, for which 9,37,876 candidates had registered, of whom 5,76,793 actually appeared. A total of 14,161 candidates qualified for the written main examination held in August 2025. Of these, 2,736 were shortlisted for the personality test or interview, conducted between December 2025 and February 2026. The final list of 958 selected candidates includes 317 from the General category, 104 from EWS, 306 from OBC, 158 from SC and 73 from ST.
Muslim Performance Has Improved Significantly
According to data compiled over the years, Muslim representation in the UPSC results has fluctuated considerably. The 53 successful candidates in 2025 is one of the stronger results in recent years, matching the 51 who cleared in 2023 and coming close to the peak years of 2016 and 2017 when 52 and 50 Muslim candidates respectively had made it to the final list. The 2024 result of 26 had been among the weakest performances in years, making this year’s outcome a significant improvement.
It is worth noting that UPSC does not categorise candidates by religion in its official results. The list of Muslim candidates has been compiled independently based on names appearing in the official merit list, and sources have noted that some names common to Muslim communities are also used by people of other faiths, meaning the actual count may vary slightly.
Kashmir Candidates Bring Pride to the Valley
Among the successful candidates is Muneeb Afzal Parra from Kandigram village in Bijbehara, South Kashmir, who secured Rank 581. His selection has been celebrated in his home district, with relatives and well-wishers gathering at his family home. In Srinagar, similar scenes were witnessed at the residence of Dr Rawseef Isaq, another candidate from Jammu and Kashmir who cleared the examination.
Full List of Successful Muslim Candidates
The 53 successful Muslim candidates and their ranks are as follows:
Rank 7 A R Rajah Mohaideen, Rank 24 Ifra Shams Ansari, Rank 29 Nabiya Parvez, Rank 95 Hassan Khan, Rank 124 Arfa Usmani, Rank 135 Khan Saima Seraj Ahmed, Rank 157 Wasim Ur Rahman, Rank 253 Sophia Siddiqui, Rank 254 Towseef Ahmad Ganaie, Rank 307 Mantasha, Rank 321 Asad Aqeel, Rank 354 Md Ishteyaque Rahman, Rank 382 Mohammed Ashmil Shah, Rank 411 Shahida Begum, Rank 415 Shadab Ali Khan, Rank 429 Muhammed Swalah, Rank 455 Shoiab, Rank 478 Nazia Parween, Rank 485 Sheik Mohamed Habisudeen, Rank 497 Sheik Mohamed Nishath, Rank 513 Minhaj Shakeel, Rank 535 Gulfiza, Rank 549 Hashmi Mohammad Umar, Rank 575 Sharukh Khan, Rank 576 Asna Anwar, Rank 581 Muneeb Afzal Parrah, Rank 588 Azeem Ahmad, Rank 614 Saista Parwin, Rank 625 Noor Alam, Rank 646 Mohd Irfan Kayamkhani, Rank 648 Mohsina Bano, Rank 663 Ghulam Maya Din, Rank 665 Danish Rabbani Khan, Rank 668 Md Nayab Anjum, Rank 671 Mohd Abuzar Ansari, Rank 678 Insa Khan, Rank 695 Abdul Sufiyan, Rank 708 Fairuz Fathima, Rank 713 Mohamed Hashim, Rank 718 Muhammed Suhail, Rank 741 Thousif Ulla Khan, Rank 763 Koh E Safa, Rank 764 Sana Azmi, Rank 773 Reshma, Rank 811 Yassar Ahmed Bhatti, Rank 832 Ghulam Haider, Rank 860 Mohamed Shezin, Rank 869 Mohd Ajaz Ul Rehman, Rank 886 Azhar Asif Khan, Rank 936 Mohd Sarfraz Choudhary, Rank 942 Abdulla Afridh, Rank 955 Md Shahid Raza Khan and Rank 957 Irfan Ahmed Lone.
