FACT CHECK: No The BMTC bus conductor did not clear UPSC mains, he misled media

Bengaluru: After careful scrutinization of the UPSC Notice, it was found that Madhu's name was not in the list of candidates who cleared the exams.

In June last year, a bus driver from Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC), Madhu NC, cleared the Civil Service Prelims of the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

After that, according to the sources, the 29-year-old started preparing for the Mains.

This month the Mains ' results were announced which Madhu had officially cleared and was preparing for the interview. C Shikha, BMTC's managing director, and an IAS officer had supported Madhu with the arrangements, the article was told.

Madhu had stated that his parents are overjoyed, though they do not even fully understand what exams he has cleared or what it may mean.

CLAIMS: The post has been widely circulated on social media, with netizens lauding the bus conductor's efforts. Madhu's story was glorified as "a true story of courage and dedication." Twitterati, like Shatrughan Sinha, the actor-turned-politician, tweeted to praise his efforts.

Fact Check: The Logical Indian has accessed a UPSC Notice dated 14 January 2020 that provides information on candidates (names and roll numbers) who have qualified for an Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS) and other Central Services (Group' A' and Group' B') selection. It was found that Madhu's name was not on the list despite careful scrutiny, suggesting that he did not clear the exams. Moreover, the mark sheet shown by Madhu did not actually belong to him but was called Madhu Kumari by someone else. Bangalore Mirror newspaper editor Ravi Joshi has taken to Twitter to clarify the fake news. In a series of tweets, he said, "We've come to know that the BMTC bus conductor who claimed to have cracked the IAS Mains exam was lying. We have reason to believe that the roll number he showed us didn't belong to him

He added in a separate tweet, "I'd like to apologize to all of our readers. It was such a great story of grit and determination that even the BMTC MD and all of its seniors wanted to help him break the interview.

Several Twitter users also took to the social media platform to clear the air on Madhu's story.

Reportedly, BMTC is now probing how and why the conductor misrepresented his results and investigating the matter further.