An investigation by The Indian Express into the 104 candidates selected under the EWS (Economically Weaker Sections) quota in the 2025 UPSC Civil Services Examination about how India defines economic disadvantage.
The EWS quota was introduced in 2019 through the 103rd Constitutional Amendment. It provides 10% reservation in education and government jobs for candidates from the “General Category” who are not eligible for reservations under SC, ST, or OBC categories and who meet prescribed income and asset criteria.
Today, a family with an annual income below ₹8 lakh, and within specified asset limits, can qualify for EWS benefits.
The UPSC Civil Services Examination is among the most competitive exams in the world.
Nearly 10 lakh candidates apply each year.
Around 5-6 lakh actually appear for the Preliminary Examination.
Roughly 14,000-15,000 reach the Mains stage.
Around 2,500-3,000 are interviewed.
Just 1,000-1,100 candidates are finally selected for the IAS, IPS, IFS and other central services.
In 2025, 104 candidates were selected under the EWS quota.
The challenge is that UPSC does not publicly disclose how many EWS candidates appear at each stage, making it difficult to calculate precise success rates for the category.
Among the 104 EWS candidates selected:
At least 84 had received formal UPSC coaching.
At least 67 attended some of India’s most prominent coaching institutes, where fees can run into lakhs of rupees.
At least 46 studied in private schools.
At least 28 came from business families.
At least 10 had prior corporate-sector experience.
At least 14 were IIT graduates, with others coming from NITs, University and JNU.
At the same time, the investigation also found many candidates who clearly fit the intended spirit of the quota — children of farmers, labourers, security guards, bus conductors and other economically vulnerable families.
