Aditya Srivastava tops civil services exam; Animesh Pradhan, Donuru Ananya Reddy get 2nd, 3rd ranks

Aditya Srivastava, currently training with the Indian Police Service, has emerged as the top scorer in the 2023 civil services examination, as declared by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday.

Following Srivastava, Animesh Pradhan, Donuru Ananya Reddy, P K Sidharth Ramkumar, and Ruhani have achieved the second, third, fourth, and fifth positions, respectively.

Out of the 1,016 successful candidates—comprising 664 men and 352 women—recommended by the

UPSC for various civil services, three of the top five rankers, including Srivastava, Ramkumar, and Ruhani, are undergoing IPS training at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy in Telangana.

This year marks a notable achievement as it’s the first instance in over ten years that an IPS trainee has clinched the top spot in the civil services exam.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his congratulations to the successful candidates, expressing that their dedication will significantly contribute to the nation’s future. He also encouraged those who did not pass to persevere and explore the myriad of opportunities available in India.

Srivastava, a 27-year-old from Lucknow, holds a BTech in electrical engineering from IIT Kanpur and an MTech degree. He improved his ranking from 236th in the previous year to first place this year, with electrical engineering as his optional subject. His unique interest lies in studying dinosaurs.

The UPSC has recommended a total of 1,016 candidates—664 men and 352 women—for various civil services positions

The bench got irked when Balkrishna, the managing director of Patanjali Ayurved Ltd, said Ramdev has nothing to do with the day-to-day affairs of the firm.

“You are again adamant on your stand,” Justice Amanullah told Balkrishna, adding that the apology does not appear to be coming from the heart.

Rohatgi told the court at the very outset that they are willing to make a public apology.

“I had made a suggestion that I am willing to make a public apology to show contrition and to tell the public that it is not only that I am doing some lip service to the court,” he said.

“Ask your clients to step forward,” Justice Kohli said, gesturing the duo to move closer to the bench. “Let us hear what they have to say,” she said.

The bench told them there are many medical streams like Ayurved, Yoga, allopathy and Unani in India and the public uses them all. It said calling one stream bad and should be done away with is not correct.

Ramdev told the bench that such conflicts between two streams of medicine have existed for quite some time and his intention was not to disrespect allopathy.

Ramdev and Balkrishna had earlier tendered an “unconditional and unqualified apology” before the top court over advertisements issued by the firm making tall claims about the medicinal efficacy of its products.

In two separate affidavits filed in the court, they had tendered unqualified apology for the “breach of the statement” recorded in the November 21 last year order of the apex court.

Non-observance of the specific assurances made to the court and subsequent media statements by the duo had irked the bench, which later issued notice asking them to explain why contempt proceedings be not initiated against them.

While hearing the matter on April 10, the court had refused to accept their affidavits tendering unconditional apology and came down hard on the Uttarakhand State Licensing Authority for its inaction on the misleading advertisements issue.

SLRs, Insas rifles, and .303 rifles, were recovered from the site,” declared the IG.

The Bastar Lok Sabha constituency, affected by Naxalite activity, is scheduled for polling on April 19 in the first phase, while the Kanker constituency, also part of the Bastar region, will cast votes in the second phase of the general elections on April 26.

Search operations continued in the vicinity, Sundarraj confirmed.

He further noted that the three wounded security personnel were in stable condition and were being transported to Raipur for medical care.

While the identities of the deceased Naxalites remain unconfirmed, it is presumed that senior members of the CPI (Maoist)’s north Bastar division were among the casualties, added Sundarraj.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) reported that two BSF inspectors and one DRG soldier sustained injuries during the encounter.

“The operation commenced on the evening of April 15, based on multiple reports of Maoist activity in Binagunda and surrounding areas. Five pieces of intelligence were shared, two of which pinpointed the exact location of the North Bastar division committee of Maoists in Binagunda, indicating it had served as a permanent Maoist encampment since April 5,” they stated.

Shankar and Lalita, both divisional committee members from the north Bastar division of Maoists, are believed to be among the deceased, the sources added.

Following this latest clash, the total number of Naxalites neutralised in separate encounters with security forces in the seven-district Bastar region, including Kanker, has reached 79 for the current year.

Earlier, on April 2, 13 Naxalites were killed, and on March 27, six Maoists were neutralised in encounters with security forces in the Bijapur district.

Deputy CM Sharma, referring to the operation as a “surgical strike” against Naxalism by the Bastar police, remarked, “For the first time in antiNaxal operations, security forces achieved complete dominance in direct combat, leaving no opportunity for the Naxalites to regroup.”

He expressed a desire for dialogue with the Naxalites, whether collectively or through representatives, emphasising the need for peace in Bastar and the government’s commitment to achieving it.

The operation took place in the Abujmarh area, a known Maoist stronghold spanning the southern part of Kanker district and the northern part of the adjacent Narayanpur district, where the 29 Naxalites were eliminated, Sharma explained.

He attributed the success of the operation to the fortitude and bravery of the soldiers, noting the guidance of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and the leadership of Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai.

Sharma highlighted that the operation has bolstered the morale of the security forces and pointed out the positive developments on the anti-Naxal front since the ‘double engine’ government (BJP in power at both the Centre and the state) assumed office in Chhattisgarh.

He emphasised the establishment of new security camps within Naxalite strongholds in the Bastar region as part of a strategic effort to eradicate the threat.

In the past four months, approximately 80 Naxalites have been neutralised

in various encounters with security forces, Sharma added.

Reaffirming the government’s dedication to restoring peace in Bastar, Sharma underscored the importance of providing the region’s inhabitants with clean drinking water, electricity, and the benefits of development.