BharatNotes English medium produces far more toppers numerically, but Hindi medium candidates do succeed — Mohanlal Jakhar (AIR 53, CSE 2023) and Divya Tanwar (AIR 105, CSE 2022) are prominent recent examples. Choice should depend on your command of the language, not on any perceived UPSC preference.
The Numbers: English vs Hindi Medium
UPSC does not officially publish medium-wise selection statistics, but multiple RTI responses, coaching institute analyses, and UPSC annual report data consistently show:
| Medium | Approx. Mains candidates (CSE 2022) | Approx. % of recommended candidates |
|---|---|---|
| English | ~13,000+ | ~95–97% |
| Hindi | ~500–600 | ~3–4% |
| All regional languages combined | <100 | <1% |
Sources: RTI analyses, UPSC Annual Report 2022-23, coaching institute surveys. UPSC does not publish official medium-wise breakdowns.
The ratio of English to Hindi is roughly 20:1 among Mains candidates, and roughly similar among those finally recommended. This reflects candidate preference, not examiner preference.
Recent Hindi Medium Toppers: Proof It Works
| Name | Rank | Year | Medium | Optional |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohanlal Jakhar | AIR 53 | CSE 2023 | Hindi | Chemistry |
| Divya Tanwar | AIR 105 | CSE 2022 | Hindi | Hindi Literature |
| Ansar Shaikh | AIR 361 | CSE 2015 | Hindi | Sociology |
Mohanlal Jakhar (AIR 53, CSE 2023) from Barmer, Rajasthan wrote all GS papers in Hindi and scored 1,006 marks overall with 190 in interview. His answer booklets are commercially available and widely studied by Hindi medium aspirants.
Divya Tanwar (AIR 105, CSE 2022) from Nimbi village, Mahendragarh, Haryana studied in a government Hindi-medium school and cleared the exam without coaching. She chose Hindi Literature as her optional.
Arguments For English Medium
- Vastly more study material: textbooks, test series, coaching, model answers, and topper copies are overwhelmingly in English
- Current affairs sources (The Hindu, Indian Express, PIB, PRS) are English-dominant
- Technical vocabulary in Economy, International Relations, and Science & Technology is primarily English — you must write it in English parenthetically in Hindi medium anyway
- Peer group, mock interview panels, and online communities skew English
- Access to UPSC topper answer copies and evaluation benchmarks is far easier in English
Arguments For Hindi Medium
- Candidates who have studied and worked in Hindi their entire lives will express complex policy analysis more fluently in Hindi
- UPSC rules explicitly state examiners are instructed not to penalise based on medium — content is what is evaluated
- Comprehensive Hindi-medium material now exists: Drishti IAS, Vision IAS Hindi, NCERT Hindi PDFs (free at ncert.nic.in), Laxmikanth in Hindi
- Strong Hindi medium test series: Vision IAS, Drishti IAS, PW OnlyIAS
- Hindi-medium aspirants from UP, Bihar, MP, Rajasthan often find they can write richer, more nuanced answers in Hindi
How to Make the Decision
Step 1: Write a 250-word practice answer on a UPSC-type question (e.g., 'Discuss the significance of federalism in India') in both English and Hindi without stopping to think about vocabulary.
Step 2: Have someone evaluate both for clarity of argument, not grammar.
Step 3: The language where your thinking flows more naturally — where you pause less for words — is your medium.
Decision matrix:
| Your background | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| English-medium schooling, read extensively in English | English medium |
| Hindi-medium schooling, all notes are in Hindi | Hindi medium |
| Hindi schooling but technical college in English | Pilot both; lean English for GS, optional may be Hindi |
| Regional language schooling (Tamil, Telugu, etc.) | See regional-language-medium-data |
Common Mistakes
- Switching mid-preparation because you see English medium toppers — your 12 months of Hindi notes are not transferable.
- Assuming English medium gets more marks — examiners mark content; a crisp Hindi answer scores as well as a crisp English answer on the same content.
- Choosing Hindi medium for ideological reasons while actually thinking in English — this creates internal friction and slower writing speed.
UPSC's Official Position
'The medium of answers shall be the candidate's choice... examiners shall be instructed not to penalise on the basis of medium.' — UPSC Civil Services Examination Rules (Gazette of India)
Bottom line: Roughly 3–4% of selected candidates write in Hindi. That is a small number — but every year, some of those candidates clear in the top 100. Language is not a ceiling; resources and fluency are the real variables.
