New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS): In the recently declared results for the UPSC Indian Economic Service examinations 2019, 18 out of 32 candidates are JNU alumni.

This is expected to be a silver lining at a time when JNU is rocked by controversies.

One of the JNU students, Yashaswini Saraswat, secured the 8th rank in the examination and became the only JNU student to enter the top 10 this year.

Though the administration on its part could not officially confirm the number of candidates from JNU but speaking to IANS a senior official in the JNU administration said, "Yes, 18 of our alumni have been selected in IES and this will certainly act as a relief for the university."

The Indian Economic Service is the administrative inter-ministerial and inter-departmental civil service under Group A of the Central Civil Services of the executive branch of the Government of India.

JNU has been at the centre of month long protests by the students over a fee hike leading to a confrontation with the administration. But tensions escalated when on January 5 there was violence in the campus in which many teachers and students were severely injured.