Success Story : 96 IAS aspirants clear UPSC Examination 2009 from Tamilnadu

An estimated 96 candidates from Tamil Nadu have cleared the Union Public Service Commission examination, the results of which were announced on Monday. Out of the overall 791 who cleared the exam across the country, a record 166 candidates are females, who also bagged the first three ranks in the country.

In Chennai, the highest rank holder was Sasikanth Senthil, who has secured the 9th All India Rank. The other under 100 rank holders in the State, according to information from various coaching centres, include Soumya 11th rank, GK Arun Sundar, 22nd, Anand, 67th, and Supraja, 95th.

Sasikanth Senthil (29) says that friends were a major source of support who not only helped him monetarily, but also stood by him as he had to give up a lucrative job as an engineer at Polaris to take the plunge. A student of National Institute of Technology, Tiruchy, he gave up his job to be involved with social service and volunteered with an NGO working on participatory action in governance.

Meanwhile, he was also teaching at a private college in the city. “While I was working, I realised engineering was not my cup of tea. When I analysed my options, I realised you could do a lot for society, if I became a part of governance. So, I took the exams,’’ said Sasikant.

After having attempted the exams three times, his friends inspired him to take the exam again, though the “rank has come as a surprise’’. He says he did not want to live off his parents.

His father, P Shanmugam, is a retired district judge, while his mother, M Ambika, is a retired central government employee. He tried to live on his own, while studying for his exams at the Ganesh IAS academy.

Another city girl, Supraja Vishwanathan, has secured the 95th rank and is probably one of the youngest to clear the exams at 22 years of age. A student of Crescent Engineering College, she was in her final year when she realised that she was more interested in working for the people.

The aspirants will now choose between the vacant posts – the Indian Administrative Service (120), Indian Foreign Service (26), Indian Police Service (130), Central Services group ‘A’ (546) and the Central Services group ‘B’ (59). Preferences will be given according to their ranks.

Courtesy:- Express Buzz