5 UPSC Toppers You Should Look Up To For Inspiration

The Civil Service Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) is deemed as the toughest to crack in the country. Only people with sheer grit and determination are the ones who succeed. In a country like India, where the female literacy rate stands at less than 50%, these female UPSC exams toppers beat all odds with the single aim to serve the people by becoming a civil servant. Here are 5 UPSC toppers to inspire you who overcame all obstacles to achieve their purpose in life.

Also read : Bastar Girl In UPSC Top 100, Wants To Transform Region

ANU KUMARI

NDTV

Anu Kumari, mother of a four-year-old son, secured second rank in the UPSC examination 2018 in her second attempt. The 31-year-old had been working in the corporate sector for about 10 years. After graduating from Delhi University’s Hindu College, she went on to do an MBA from IMT Nagpur. She stayed away from her son -- then only two and a half years old -- to prepare for the UPSC exams.  Given her extreme passion to work for women, she has been named the brand ambassador for the ‘Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao’ programme in her home district Sonipat by the Haryana government.

SUSHREE

PC India Today

Sushree (22), hailing from Kerala, secured 151st rank in the UPSC examination 2018 in her first attempt. She is the youngest to clear the examination this year. Citing former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as her idol, Sushree says she was motivated after receiving blessings from Singh. Her father, Sunil Kumar, was a part of the former PM’s security team.

VAISHALI SHARMA

Source: The Quint

An MBBS holder from Aligarh Muslim University, Vaishali Sharma, with 80% hearing impairment, topped the exam in 2017 in the physical disability category. Sharma had secured the second rank in the same category in 2016. But she wasn't selected because examiners found her "temporarily unfit" as she was overweight. Candidates need to pass a medical examination, where their BMI is also measured among other things. But Vaishali didn’t lose hope. She was determined and lost weight to fight her way back.

IRA SINGHAL

pic credits: The Hindu

Ira Singhal, a differently-abled woman, topped the Union Public Service Commission examination for 2014 in her fourth attempt. She had previously cleared the examination in 2010 but was denied a position due to her disability. She fought her case at the Central Administrative Tribunal and eventually won it. A victim of Scoliosis, she did not let her disability get in the way of her absolute genius.

TINA DABI

At the age of 22, Tina Dabi, a graduate from the Lady Sri Ram College for Women, topped the UPSC Examination in 2015. She received a lot of backlash from people as they attributed her success to the fact that she belonged to the SC category. Dabi clarified that a set method of studying was what led her to clear her finals with a good score. She also received flak for dating Athar Aamir, a Kashmiri Muslim and runner-up from the same batch. They withstood the opposition and eventually tied the knot earlier this year.

Also read : Bengal’s Atri Kar, First Transgender to Take UPSC Exam in ‘other’ Category

Malvika Bansal is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv