10 Things To Know About UPSC Topper Anjali Birla

Anjali Birla, daughter of Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla is one of the toppers of the Indian Civil Services exam this year. The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) which has released a list of 89 candidates on its reserve list has Anjali on it. 23-year-old Birla is a graduate in political science honours from Delhi University’s Ramjas College.

Birla is in news after social media posts alleged that she cleared the civil services examination without appearing for it. The posts further claimed that Birla gained "backdoor entry" into IAS courtesy her father's influence. The UPSC topper has however refuted the allegations, adding that she is taken aback, having to explain that she studied to clear the exam. The same was fact-checked by AFP and confirmed that she followed due procedure.

"There should be a law against trolling. We should trace people and make them accountable – those spreading fake news… Today I am a victim, tomorrow somebody else could be a victim," said Birla about the alleged fake news being spread against her.

In an interview with SheThePeople, Birla said, "It is all so baseless, unfounded and there is no ounce of truth in it. UPSC has clarified on the same and even that was not needed since UPSC such a respected institution. The whole process is very transparent and I found the allegation too baseless to comment on them. You don’t even come to know who is going to interview you till before 15 minutes before. " Click here to read the full interview.

Here Are 10 Things To Know About the UPSC topper Anjali Birla

1. Birla opted for the Arts stream in class 12th from Sophia school in Kota, and graduated in political science (Honours) from Delhi University’s Ramjas College in 2018. 
2. Anjali Birla is the daughter of Om Birla, a politician who the Speaker of the Lok Sabha at present. 
3.  In 2019, she cleared her UPSC Civil Services examination.
4. Anjali Birla always desired to join the IAS. During her college days, she started developing an interest in the issues India was dealing. Besides that, she has always wanted to be an 'effective leader.' 
5.  Anjali says that misinformation was one of the biggest challenges she had to face while preparing for the exam. It was her elder sister who helped her in setting up a timetable among other things. 
6. Her elder sister Akansha Birla cleared the Chartered Accountant exams. 
7. Anjali Birla starting preparing for the examinations in June 2018, i.e, right after her graduation. 
8. For new aspirants, Anjali recommends going through newspapers like Economic Times, The Hindu, Indian Express, etc. She also feels that Vision Monthly is useful in imparting knowledge on current affairs. 
9. For the IAS exam, Anjali decided to opt for Political Science and International Relations as the optional subject. 
10. Anjali's score in Paper 1 is 101.34 and Paper 2 is 73.33.