UPSC Civil Services Exam: Trends in Educational Backgrounds and Optional Subjects

Engineering graduates still dominate the pool of selected candidates in the UPSC Civil Services Exam. But here’s the kicker: most of them end up picking Humanities subjects as their optional papers. It just feels strange, doesn't it?
Data from the UPSC itself, shared with a parliamentary committee, shows us some interesting shifts over time. In 2025, about 47% of those selected had engineering backgrounds. That’s fine, but look at where the choices landed. Humanities subjects made up a whopping 84% of all optional subject choices reported by ET Education.
Engineering and technology fields accounted for only a tiny 2%. Science subjects were next, hitting 11%, and medical studies barely scratched the surface at 3%.
And this trend isn't just about overall selection percentages. Look at how Humanities graduates fared among those actually taking the personality test. That number jumped quite a bit from 20.59% back in 2019 to 34.41% by 2025. Same for final selections; their share rose from 24.19% then up to 35.28% now.
Meanwhile, the other side of the coin the Science and Technology backgrounds, including engineering and medical fields saw a noticeable dip. Among candidates who made it to the interview stage, that share dropped from nearly 80% down to 65.59%. And in the final selections? It fell even further, shrinking from 75.81% to just 64.72%.
It’s a clear pattern, really. This isn't new. The same movement we are seeing is reflected right at the top. Take the Top 50 candidates in 2025. Sixteen of them were engineering graduates. Yet, only one actually chose an engineering optional subject. The other fifteen? Mostly Humanities.
This isn’t some fluke happening this year. This pattern has been running for years now. Back in 2016, you had thirty-six engineering graduates making the Top 50. But just five of them opted for engineering as their choice. Now? It’s almost gone. Just one candidate with an engineering optional spot in that elite group in 2025.
These figures were presented by senior UPSC officials to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personnel, Public Grievances, Law and Justice. A little official nod to the numbers, I suppose.
And then there’s the human element, which is always shifting. The 2025 results brought some notable names forward. Rajeshwari Suve M from Madurai claimed the second rank and was recognized as the female topper. It's important, even if the overall number of girls in the top five has slightly decreased, their presence in the top twenty-five remains strong. Last year, there were eleven girls in that bracket just one more than 2024.
And then you have those who really step up. Zinnia Aurora, AIR 6, and Aastha Jain, AIR 9. Seeing them in the Top 10 suggests something else is happening. Girls are definitely taking on leadership roles now. It’s less about which stream they started in, and more about where they end up. That’s the real story emerging from these numbers.</p
Written by Gree News Team — Senior Editorial Board
Gree News Team covers international news and global affairs at Gree News. Our collective of senior editors is dedicated to providing independent, accurate, and responsible journalism for a global audience.
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