Shruti Sharma, Ankita Agarwal and Gamini Singla have secured the first, second and third rank respectively in the civil services examination 2021, results of which were announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Monday.

As many as 685 candidates have qualified the prestigious test, it said, without sharing further details of the candidates selected in the examination.

Of the successful candidates, 244 are from general category, 73 from Economically Weaker Sections , 203 of Other Backward Classes, 105 Scheduled Caste and 60 from the Scheduled Tribes, the Commission said.

The civil services examination is conducted annually by the UPSC in three stages preliminary, main and interview to select officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and the Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.

The written or main part of the examination was conducted in January, 2022, and the interviews were held in April and May this year, it said.

The candidature of 80 candidates is provisional while the result of one candidate has been kept withheld.

Besides the top three rank holders, Aishwarya Verma secured the fourth position and Utkarsh Dwivedi achieved the fifth rank, it said.

"UPSC has a 'facilitation counter' near examination hall in its campus. Candidates can obtain any information / clarification regarding their examinations / recruitment on the working days between 10:00 hours to 17:00 hours in person or over telephone nos. 23385271/23381125 /23098543," the Commission said.

Results are also available on the UPSC's website -- www.upsc.gov.in.

"Marks will be available on the website within 15 days from the date of declaration of result," it said.