‘Wish to inspire more women from Jharkhand to join the civil services’
There is no one secret to crack the civil services examination, said Swati Sharma, 25, who secured all-India rank 17 in the prestigious test, results of which were announced on Tuesday by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). Ms. Sharma, who cleared the exam in her third attempt, spent one and a half years in Delhi’s Karol Bagh, preparing for the exams. She said she mostly studied on her own
Swati Sharma, all-India rank 17
and joined coaching classes only for mock tests. Apart from that, YouTube videos also helped her bag the coveted spot, she added. Ms. Sharma, who hails from Jamshedpur in Jharkhand, said her interest in the civil services was sparked by the Political Science classes in school. “The hard work and skills involved in working long hours on tight deadlines and handling complex issues fascinated me,” she said, adding that her interest in human rights motivated her to crack the exams.
The daughter of a retired Army personnel father and a homemaker mother, Ms. Sharma said not many women from her State are in the civil services. “I hope my success will inspire more women from my State to aspire for the job.
Among the top 25, there were 10 women this year. For some of these aspirants, it was multiple attempts and years of hard work that landed them the rank. Ruhani, 28, a resident of Gurugram and an Economics graduate from Delhi’s St. Stephen’s college, secured the fth rank on her sixth attempt. Her father Suresh said that she had been preparing from Hyderabad for the past few years. “She worked very hard. It is a matter of great pridefor us,” he said.