Cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination is considered one of the toughest achievements in India, and this year, Poorva Choudhary was among the 1,009 candidates who earned that distinction, securing an All-India Rank of 533. But what began as a moment of celebration quickly turned into a controversy, as social media users questioned her eligibility to use the OBC-NCL (Other Backward Classes - Non-Creamy Layer) reservation.

Choudhary went viral after posting about her result, but congratulatory messages soon gave way to criticism, with many alleging she misused the reservation system. Critics pointed to her perceived affluent lifestyle—evidenced by luxury handbags and international vacations—and claimed that she did not qualify for the OBC-NCL category.

“Poorva Choudhary a recent UPSC qualifier having a bag worth ₹4 lakhs along with a premium lifestyle which includes international trips. Her father is an ADM. Still she used OBC-NCL certificate to qualify the exam. Another day another scam in UPSC,” read a viral post on X (formerly Twitter).

Another user questioned the broader implications of reservation misuse, stating, “Poorva Chaudhary is also seen using OBC reservation while her Insta account shows a lavish lifestyle. Is the reservation system justice to socially backward or become a success ladder for 'privileged' backwards?”

Amid the growing online storm, Choudhary deleted or disabled her Instagram account. Her sister’s congratulatory post, which had earlier gone viral with the caption, “Sibling goals? One cracked the most difficult exam in our country. The other’s writing this caption!!!”, also drew intense scrutiny.

As the backlash escalated, her father, Omprakash Saharan, who serves as Additional District Collector (ADM) in Kotputli, Rajasthan, stepped forward to defend his daughter and clarify her eligibility. Speaking to India Today, Saharan said:

“In the case of direct RAS recruitment before the age of 40, the OBC NCL benefit does not apply. I became an RAS officer at 44. So, the claim that my daughter misused the certificate is completely untrue.”

He further explained that similar rules apply to appointments and promotions in Class I government jobs, stating that children of officers promoted to Class I positions may become ineligible for the OBC-NCL quota—but that was not applicable in his case.