Anudeep tops civil services exam, Haryana’s Anu, Sachin 2nd, 3rd
From the Punjab DGP’s daughter to the daughter of Haryana village sarpanch, HT profiles five candidates from the region who have cracked the UPSC exam.
NEW DELHI/CHANDIGARH: Durishetty Anudeep of Hyderabad topped the 2017 civil services exam, the results of which were declared by the Union Public Service Commission , on Friday. Haryana’s Anu Kumari, Sachin Gupta and Pratham Kaushik secured the second, third and fifth ranks, respectively.
In perhaps its best performance, the region saw seven candidates among the country’s top 25 rank holders. A UPSC release said Durishetty belongs to other backward classes (OBC) category. He qualified the exam with anthropology as his optional subject. He graduated with BE (electronics and instrumentation) from Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani.
MOTHER OF 4-YEAR-OLD IS SONEPAT’S PRIDE
Anu Kumari, 31, of Sonepat graduated with BSc (honours) in physics from Delhi University and did MBA (finance and marketing) from the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT) in Nagpur. She is married to a businessman and they have a four-year-old son. She worked with Aviva Life Insurance for nine years. “My job was good but it became mechanical so I quit two years ago to take up something through which I could contribute to society,” she said.
This was her second attempt. In her first attempt in 2016, she missed clearing the prelims by just one mark. “I come from Haryana, where we see the regressive nature of society and crimes against women. I’ll make the most of this opportunity and work for women’s empowerment,” Anu said. “I did not take any coaching but I did not lose focus,” she said.
THAPAR ALUMNUS FROM SIRSA IS 3RD
Sachin Gupta, 31, of Sirsa, a mechnical engineer from Thapar University, Patiala, gave up his job in a private company in Gurugram to emerge third in his second attempt. His proud father, Sudarshan Gupta, who runs a private trading firm in Sirsa, said, “He left his job and underwent coaching in Bangalore in 2017. The year before, he had undergone coaching in Delhi for his first attempt but he was ranked 575th.”
Sachin said as an IAS officer he could work to eradicate social evils. His mother, Sushma Gupta, is a government teacher.
PEC ENGINEER FROM MAHENDRAGARH IS 5TH
Pratham Kaushik, 24, of Haryana’s Mahendragarh district, emerged fifth in his second attempt at the civil services. Pratham studied material and metallurgical engineering from Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Chandigarh. Pratham’s father, Narendra Kaushik, is a deputy excise and taxation commissioner in Kaithal.
Pratham started preparing for the exam after graduation. “His first attempt in 2016 was only to study the pattern of the exam. This time, he studied hard,” his father said.
HP ENGINEER IS 7TH
Ayush Sinha, 27, cracked the exam with rank 7 in his third attempt. Ayush, who graduated in chemical engineering from BITS, Goa, and did postgraduation in biological sciences is from Himachal Pradesh. In his second attempt, Ayush secured the 100th rank and was selected for the Indian Revenue Service.
“It’s a dream come true today. I attribute this success to my family,” Ayush said. He is the son of late Indian Forest Service officer PK Sinha and Alka Verma, an associate professor at St Bede’s College, Shimla.
J&K COP TO JOIN FOREIGN SERVICE
Utkarsh Duggal, 28, a metallurgical engineer from PEC Chandigarh’s 2012 batch, was ranked 17th. It was his fifth attempt and fourth selection in UPSC. At present, he is posted as an assistant superintendent of police (ASP), headquarters, Ganderbal, in Jammu and Kashmir. His first selection was in 2014. Utkarsh has been posted in J&K for two years but wanted to be a foreign services officer, which is why he took a shot at the exam again in 2017.
“It was not that I wasn’t satisfied. It was just that I always wanted to be a career diplomat. I am an IPS officer by choice but this time I wanted only the foreign services. While on job in a state like J&K, I continued with my preparation for this exam, which seemed like a revision after four attempts,” he said.
Utkarsh is the son of Ramesh Kumar Duggal, a retired audit officer of Haryana, and Ranjana Duggal, a retired postgraduate teacher from Kendriya Vidyalaya, Chandigarh.
JALANDHAR’S VARJEET WALIA RANKED 21ST
Jalandhar’s Varjeet Walia, 26, a BTech (chemical engineering) from Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and the son of Punjabi Jagran editor Varinder Walia, was on cloud nine as he was ranked 21st. At present, he is undergoing training of Indian Railway Traffic Service. “The badge of an IAS officer gives you the power to contribute to society and work for its growth. I want to make a difference,” Varjeet said. This was his second attempt.
LUDHIANA’S AKHIL 22ND
Akhil Pilani, 28, secured the 22nd rank in his second attempt. An information technology engineer from Netaji Subhash Institute Of Technology, Delhi, he is working in the Indian Information Services in Noida. He is married and a resident of Dugri. His mother, Dr Neena Nakra, is a senior medical officer at Ludhiana Civil Hospital. He lost his father, Dr Krishan Pilani, in 2010.
› › › › My father was always my inspiration and then women like Nirupama Rao and Ruchira Kamboj fascinated me. I believe this exam needs a lot of selfbelief, motivation and patience because it is more of an emotional intelligence exam. Earning money wasn’t giving me any satisfaction. People, who wish to take this exam, should do it for the right reasons. My mother has been my inspiration throughout. I devoted approximately eight hours a day to study. When you prepare for such an exam, or rather any exam, exercise is a must as physical and mental health go handinhand. I will ensure safety of women. The credit goes to my family members. Parents must allow daughters to chase their dreams.
MEGHA ARORA, 26, Masters in Foreign Affairs from University of London Megha is daughter of Punjab DGP Suresh Arora, who is a 1982 cadre IPS officer. An alumna of Carmel Convent School, Sector 9, she studied International Relations from Emory University, US and went ahead to do her Masters in Foreign Affairs from the University of London. She came back to India in 2013. This was third attempt. Megha had joined the Young Indian fellowship programme at Ashoka University.
VIKRAM ADITYA MALIK, 29 Lawyer, has practised in Supreme Court
An alumnus of St John’s High School, Sector 26, and Bhavan Vidyalaya School, Sector 27, he is the son of Haryana cadre IAS officer Yudhvir Singh Malik. Working with a private law firm, this was his fourth attempt. His sister Surbhi Malik is a 2012 batch Punjab cadre IAS officer.
JUHI JALOTA, 27 Engineer
Ludhiana Model Gram resident, she is married to a city-based businessman, and aspires to join the Indian Police Service. A Gwalior native, she was in Solan, when the results were declared. Her mother-in-law heads the Geography department at Government College for Girls, Ludhiana. SHRUTI ARORA, 25 Engineer Shruti is an alumna of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Sector 26, and an engineering graduate from the University Institute of Engineering and Technology (UIET). This was her third attempt. She is a daughter of Haryana-cadre IAS officer Keshni Anand Arora, who is posted as additional chief secretary to the Haryana government. Keshni is sister of former Haryana chief secretaries, Urvashi Gulati and Meenakshi Anand Chaudhary.
RITU, 24 MSc Mathematics from Kurukshetra University
Ritu is the daughter of a farmer Tara Chand and Sunita Devi. Both are former sarpanchs of Bhadar village in Panipat. This was her first attempt. She completed Class-10 from her village and Class 12 from Panipat. She is a gold medallist in M Sc Mathematics from Kurukshetra University in 2016.