UPSC: Engineering Graduates Form 47% Of Selected Candidates, Yet 84% Chose Humanities As Optional Subject | Education and Career News
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As per data provided by UPSC to a parliamentary committee, humanities graduates among candidates appearing for the personality test increased from 20.59% in 2019 to 34.41% in 2025.
In the Top 50 candidates in 2025, 16 were engineering graduates, but only one selected an engineering subject as an optional. (Representative/File Photo)
Engineering graduates remain the biggest group among selected candidates in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination yet most of them are choosing Humanities subjects as their optional papers.
As per data provided by UPSC to a parliamentary committee, in 2025, around 47% of selected candidates had engineering backgrounds. However, Humanities subjects made up 84% of all optional subject choices. Engineering and technology subjects accounted for only 2%, while science subjects made up 11% and medical subjects 3%, reported ET Education.
The data also showed percentage of Humanities graduates among candidates appearing for the personality test increased from 20.59% in 2019 to 34.41% in 2025. Among candidates finally selected for CSE, their share also rose from 24.19% in 2019 to 35.28% in 2025.
During this time, candidates from Science and Technology backgrounds, including engineering, science and medical fields, saw a decline. Their share among interview candidates fell from 79.41% to 65.59%, while among final selections it dropped from 75.81% to 64.72%.
The same trend was visible among top rank holders. In the Top 50 candidates in 2025, 16 were engineering graduates, but only one selected an engineering subject as an optional. The remaining 15 chose subjects mostly from the Humanities stream.
This pattern has continued for years. In 2016, as many as 36 engineering graduates were among the Top 50 rank holders, but only five opted for engineering as their optional subject. The number has gradually reduced, reaching just one candidate in 2025.
The figures were presented by senior UPSC officials before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice.
The UPSC 2025 results saw boys securing four of the top five ranks. Rajeshwari Suve M from Madurai claimed the second rank and was the female topper. Although the number of girls in the top 5 decreased, their presence in the top 25 remained robust. Last year, 11 girls were in the top 25, just one more than 2024. The inclusion of Zinnia Aurora (AIR 6) and Aastha Jain (AIR 9) in the top 10 showed that girls continue to take on leadership roles.
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