Cracking the prestigious civil services exam is no mean feat, but making it to the top in first attempt itself is nothing short of spectacular. 22-year-old Tina Dabi from Delhi has topped the civil services exams 2015. The exams are conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan from Jammu and Kashmir bagged the second position, while Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, who is also from Delhi, has secured the third position. Khan had got into the railways in his first attempt in 2014, while Sandhu is an Indian Revenue Service officer.
Soon after the results were out, elated Dabi updated her Facebook account by posting the message --- “Slow and steady wins the race...Remember it.” While talking to mediapersons, Lady Shri Ram College graduate Dabi said, “It is indeed a proud moment for me. I am very happy and feel very ecstatic, can’t express in words.”
On her future plans, Dabi said, “Want to be a role model for girls aspiring to clear UPSC in their first attempt. I chose Indian Administrative Service & Haryana cadre as I found it very challenging for girls.” She attributed patience, focus, discipline and family support for her success.
Being surprised over the result, Tina’s father and mother said, “We are speechless. All I can say is that my daughter is my hero.” Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal congratulated the Delhi girl on twitter. In his message, Kejriwal said, “Congrats to Delhi girl Tina Dabi, topper of UPSC exam. I wish her a bright career.”
While talking to reporters, Khan, who is from South Kashmir’s Anantnag, said that it was a “dream come true” for him. “I will not leave any stone unturned to work for the betterment of people,” he said, adding that he had opted for Jammu and Kashmir cadre.
“I think there is a lot of scope to fulfill the aspirations of the people from my state. This is my second attempt, I got 560 rank last year and I was allotted Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS). My grandfather has been biggest motivation for me,” said Khan, who is undergoing training at the Railways Institute of Transport Management in Lucknow.
Khan further said, “Many candidates from Kashmir are now trying for civil services, I think this is a positive trend. I wasn’t expecting 2nd rank, but I did expect a good result. Whatever responsibilities I am given, will do them to the best of my ability.”
Earlier, in 2011 Pune lad Amrutesh Aurangabadkar, who was just 21-year-old, had cleared the tough exam and secured tenth rank. While in 1997, Gayatri Meghwal, presently secretary in Rajasthan government, had cleared the prestigious exam in her first attempt. Meghwal was also 22 when she cleared the exam.
Lakhs of students appear each year for the prestigious civil services examination, through which officers for the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service and Indian Police Service, among others, are picked.
This time, 1,078 candidates were recommended for appointment. Of these, 499 belong to the general category, 314 are from other backward castes, 176 are Scheduled Caste and 89 are from Scheduled Tribe category.