{"id":100079,"date":"2021-08-10T18:09:37","date_gmt":"2021-08-10T12:39:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/?p=100079"},"modified":"2021-08-10T18:09:37","modified_gmt":"2021-08-10T12:39:37","slug":"upsc-ias-islamic-studies-subject-geeta-ramayana-false-claim","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/upsc-ias-islamic-studies-subject-geeta-ramayana-false-claim\/","title":{"rendered":"Fact-check: Is Islamic Studies an optional subject for UPSC exam?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A user named Kanak Singhi posted a picture on the Facebook group &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/groups\/256181711723428\/posts\/809801253028135\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u0926\u0947\u0936 \u0915\u093e DNA<\/a>\u2018 (Desh Ka DNA). In the accompanying caption, she suggested that one could become an IAS officer by opting for Islamic Studies in the civil service examinations. It read, &#8220;If someone can become an IAS officer with Islamic Studies as their subject, then the Vedas, the Ramayana, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads should also be included as subjects in the UPSC exam. What is this hate for Sanatan Dharma faiths?&#8221; The post has amassed more than 16,000 likes.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-100080 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-19.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"556\" height=\"852\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-19.jpeg 556w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-19-196x300.jpeg 196w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 556px) 100vw, 556px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Several others also alleged that the UPSC was offering Islamic Studies as an optional subject and Sanatan Dharma faiths are not taken seriously. A Facebook page named &#8216;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Sanatanparivaar\/posts\/341181480889168?__cft__%5B0%5D=AZXABJT6RjF7ohUvq18PyOqDfYsHIK5xwD7gItsmsy9WIcffs1UQ4OPR8p1lzAnFjwepYkBOlSo5bW4B4SazISdByEJqhy5AaHIzutQBD2D-DnBMGrSDwuASdXB_N8spyOw&amp;__tn__=%2CO%2CP-R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u0938\u0928\u093e\u0924\u0928 \u092a\u0930\u093f\u0935\u093e\u0930<\/a>\u2018 (Sanatan Parivar) has also shared one such post.<\/p>\n<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-100079 gallery-columns-3 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/upsc-ias-islamic-studies-subject-geeta-ramayana-false-claim\/1-96\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"695\" height=\"812\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/1-2.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/1-2.jpeg 695w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/1-2-257x300.jpeg 257w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 695px) 100vw, 695px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/upsc-ias-islamic-studies-subject-geeta-ramayana-false-claim\/2-86\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"690\" height=\"854\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/2-1.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/2-1.jpeg 690w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/2-1-242x300.jpeg 242w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 690px) 100vw, 690px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon portrait'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href='https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/upsc-ias-islamic-studies-subject-geeta-ramayana-false-claim\/3-74\/'><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"691\" height=\"809\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/3-1.jpeg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/3-1.jpeg 691w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/3-1-256x300.jpeg 256w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 691px) 100vw, 691px\" \/><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<p>We noticed that this claim has been circulating online since 2019. The same year, <a href=\"https:\/\/archive.is\/fDD2q\">Alok Bhatt<\/a> alleged that Arab Culture and Islamic Studies were being offered as optional subjects for the civil service examinations. Bhatt&#8217;s Twitter followers include a number of senior BJP leaders, including PM Modi. He wrote that as an Indian citizen, he was uncomfortable with the idea that the officers governing India were recruited in the Indian Administrative Service based on their knowledge of Urdu Literature or Arabic\/Islamic Studies.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-100082 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-20.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"602\" height=\"700\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-20.jpeg 602w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-20-258x300.jpeg 258w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 602px) 100vw, 602px\" \/><\/p>\n<h4><strong>Fact-check<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>No concrete information is available using <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/3wnFP3DLub?amp=1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">the link shared by Alok Bhatt<\/a>, as it redirects to a few different links on different sites.<\/p>\n<p>Next, Alt News checked the official UPSC website and found that the claim being made on social media is completely false. We checked the UPSC exam notification which was released in March 2021 and could not find Islamic Studies listed as an optional subject.<\/p>\n<p>The UPSC examination is conducted in three phases &#8211; Prelims, Mains and the Interview. Only candidates who clear the first two stages are eligible for the final stage, which is the interview.<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.upsc.gov.in\/sites\/default\/files\/Notice-CSP-2021-Engl-04032021N.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">subjects<\/a> included as part of the Prelims syllabus are General Awareness, History, Economic and Social Development, Climate Change, Logical Reasoning, Indian Polity and Governance Constitution, General Science, Reading Comprehension, and Geography. These account for two papers each worth 200 marks and with a duration of two hours.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-100083 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-21.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"810\" height=\"728\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-21.jpeg 810w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-21-300x270.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-21-768x690.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/> Source: UPSC<\/p>\n<p>There are a total of seven subjects included in the Mains syllabus. Out of these, five are compulsory for all candidates, whereas the sixth and seventh can be of their choosing. Even in these optional subjects, there is no mention of Islamic Studies. This can be seen clearly in the picture below.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-100084 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-22.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"810\" height=\"808\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-22.jpeg 810w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-22-300x300.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-22-150x150.jpeg 150w, https:\/\/www.altnews.in\/english-clone-2026\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/10\/2021\/08\/word-image-22-768x766.jpeg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 810px) 100vw, 810px\" \/> Source: UPSC<\/p>\n<p>Therefore, the claim being made on social media about candidates becoming IAS officers by opting for Islamic Studies in their civil service examinations is completely false.<\/p>\n<p>IAS officer Somesh Upadhyay mocked such claims in a 2020 tweet. He wrote that such claims were only being made in the parallel universe of WhatsApp.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">There is a parallel universe where UPSC offers Islamic Studies as optional subject. It&#8217;s called WhatsApp Universe.<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Somesh Upadhyay (@Somesh_IAS) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/Somesh_IAS\/status\/1299322353885704192?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">August 28, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A user named Kanak Singhi posted a picture on the Facebook group &#8216;\u0926\u0947\u0936 \u0915\u093e DNA\u2018 (Desh Ka DNA). In the accompanying caption, she suggested that one could become an IAS officer by opting for Islamic Studies in the civil service examinations. It read, &#8220;If someone can become an IAS officer with Islamic Studies as their [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":30,"featured_media":100089,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"an_content_type":[],"coauthors":[133],"class_list":["post-100079","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-religion","fact_checks_claim_type-social-media-claims"],"blocksy_meta":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Fact-check: Is Islamic Studies an optional subject for UPSC exam? - Alt News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_GB\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Fact-check: Is Islamic Studies an optional subject for UPSC exam? - Alt News\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A user named Kanak Singhi posted a picture on the Facebook group &#8216;\u0926\u0947\u0936 \u0915\u093e DNA\u2018 (Desh Ka DNA). In the accompanying caption, she suggested that one could become an IAS officer by opting for Islamic Studies in the civil service examinations. 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