Two candidates from Haryana and Bihar, who were seated 1,324 km apart and who had the same name and allegedly the same roll number, both claimed to have received the All India Rank (AIR) of 44 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) test, the results of which were released on Tuesday.
Both Tushar Kumar from Rewari, in Haryana, and Tushar Kumar from Bhagalpur, in Bihar, claim to have taken the personality test at the UPSC headquarters in New Delhi at 1pm on May 8 and to have placed 44th overall.
The two have now made the decision to seek clarification from the police and UPSC.
Tushar from Bihar said that he discovered the information through news sources that reported that Tushar from Haryana had received congratulations from the local government for earning the 44th spot. He said that he had reported this to Kaimur SP in the form of a complaint.
“I requested that the Kaimur SP take action against Tushar Kumar of Rewari for making a bogus claim to the 44th position. Such errors are not permitted by the UPSC. This was my sixth try to graduate from the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi. I did it in 2016. I had previously participated in the interviews four times, but I was unable to pass. When we learned that someone else was claiming credit for my labours, my family and friends were cheering,” he stated.
In addition, he said that the Haryana resident had faked his admission card despite his repeated requests for him to release them. “Unlike mine, his admission card does not have his Aadhaar information. While my QR code displays all of my information, his call letter's QR code does not, the man added.
Haryana's Tushar denied the claim and said he will go to the UPSC headquarters to get clarification from the staff. I have been studying in Rewari since I lost my parents a few years ago, and I passed the test without any coaching, he added.
Imran Raza, the deputy commissioner for Rewari, stated: “We are aware of the issue, but it is the UPSC's responsibility to set the record straight.”