UPSC Declares ESE 2025 Mains Results; Interview Phase Kicks Off

When Union Public Service Commission posted the Engineering Services Examination 2025 Mains ResultNew Delhi on September 4, 2025, more than 300 aspirants breathed a sigh of relief while thousands more stared at the screen, wondering whether they’d earned a seat at the final interview table.

The three‑stage selection process—Preliminary (June 8), Mains (August 10) and now the Personality Test—has always been a crucible for engineering graduates aiming for Grade A and B posts across ministries like Railways, Central Public Works Department and Defence. This year’s numbers are eye‑popping: roughly 90,000 candidates sat for the prelims, 3,600 cracked the mains, and 754 names now appear on the official roll‑number list for the interview round.

Background of the Engineering Services Examination

The ESE, instituted back in 1961, was designed to create a merit‑based pipeline of engineers into the civil services. Over the decades the exam has expanded to cover Civil, Mechanical, Electrical and Electronics & Telecommunication streams. According to a 2023 report by the Ministry of Personnel, the exam consistently ranks among the top five competitive exams in India, trailing only the IAS, IPS, IFS, and the Combined Defence Services.

Professor Ananya Rao, who heads the Department of Engineering Education at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, notes, “The ESE acts as a barometer for technical talent in the public sector. Its rigor ensures that only the most adaptable engineers get through, which is crucial for projects ranging from metro rail expansions to smart grid implementations.”

Result Declaration and What It Means

On the UPSC portal, the ‘What’s New’ banner now links to a PDF titled “Written Result – Engineering Services (Main) Examination, 2025”. Candidates can hit Ctrl+F and type their roll number to see if they’ve made the cut. The roll‑number list is sorted numerically, not by marks, so the first names you see don’t necessarily represent the top scorers.

The commission clarified that qualification is provisional. Every name is subject to verification of age, educational credentials, community status and, where applicable, any declared disabilities. Any discrepancy can result in disqualification before the final merit list is published.

Who Made the Cut: First Roll Numbers

Among the Civil Engineering cohort, the initial five roll numbers belong to:

• Patel Preykumar Dharmeshbhai
• Divyansh Meena
• Rishabh Kabdwal
• Abhishek Anand
• Korat Bansil Pankaj

Remember, these names reflect roll‑number order, not performance rank. The official merit list, once the interview scores are factored in, will reorder candidates based on combined marks.

Next Steps: Interview Process and Documentation

The interview, often dubbed the Personality Test, is scheduled to begin in early October. Candidates will be invited to UPSC’s New Delhi headquarters, where a panel of senior engineers and bureaucrats will assess technical expertise, problem‑solving aptitude and overall personality fit. The format mirrors a high‑stakes job interview—technical questions, scenario‑based problem solving, and a brief personal statement.

What every successful candidate must bring:

1. Original mark sheets and degree certificates (carbon‑copy not accepted).
2. Age proof – typically a birth certificate or passport.
3. Community certificate, if claiming any reservation.
4. Disability certificate, where applicable, to verify benchmark status.
5. A self‑prepared brief outlining career aspirations in the public sector.

UPSC spokesperson Ravi Sharma said, “We urge candidates to double‑check their documents. Any mismatch discovered during verification will lead to immediate exclusion from the interview schedule.”

Expert Take on the ESE Landscape

A recent study by the Institute for Public Administration highlighted a trend: while the number of applicants spikes every year, the success ratio has dipped from 1.5% in 2018 to 0.9% in 2025. Analysts attribute this to two factors—enhanced difficulty of the mains paper and the growing lure of private‑sector engineering roles offering higher remuneration.

Nevertheless, the prestige attached to service‑grade engineering posts remains undiminished. Senior officials in the Central Water Commission note that ESE‑selected engineers often lead multimillion‑dollar infrastructure projects, giving them a unique blend of technical authority and administrative influence.

Looking Ahead: Implications for India’s Technical Cadre

With the interview phase looming, the batch that clears will soon be posted across a spectrum of departments—ranging from the Indian Railways’ rolling stock design units to the Ministry of Power’s renewable energy task forces. This injection of fresh talent is expected to accelerate ongoing national initiatives like the ‘Smart Cities Mission’ and the ‘National Hydrogen Energy Mission’.

For the thousands who missed the cut, the Union Public Service Commission has already opened registration for the 2026 cycle, slated to start in May. Many candidates view the ESE as a career-long goal, often taking a year or two to re‑prepare, citing the exam’s rigorous nature as both a challenge and a badge of honor.