A 22-year-old woman from Delhi topped the 2015 civil services examination on her first attempt and a railway officer from Jammu and Kashmir secured the second position as the results of one of India’s toughest tests was announced on Tuesday.
A total of 1,078 candidates cleared the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam -- 499 from the general category, 314 from the other backward classes, 176 from the scheduled castes and 89 from the scheduled tribes.
Dabi topped the test, followed by Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan and Delhi’s Jasmeet Singh Sandhu.
“Congrats to all those who cleared the Civil Services Exam. My good wishes as they commence a new & exciting phase of their lives,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
Read more: Meet J-K’s Athar Aamir, second rank holder in IAS exams
A graduate in political science from the Capital’s Lady Shri Ram College, Dabi completed her schooling from the Convent of Jesus & Mary. “It is indeed a proud moment for me,” she told PTI.
The commission said it was maintaining a reserve list of 172 candidates. The results are based on scores in a written examination held in December 2015 and interviews conducted in March-May 2016.
{{/usCountry}}The commission said it was maintaining a reserve list of 172 candidates. The results are based on scores in a written examination held in December 2015 and interviews conducted in March-May 2016.
{{/usCountry}}23-year-old Athar, a resident of Anantnag in south Kashmir, was undergoing training at the Indian Railways Institute of Transport and Management, Lucknow. This was his second attempt.
“I just could not believe it. The news took few minutes to sink in that I obtained second rank. I secured 560 rank last year. I’m very delighted and extremely satisfied that my hard work has really paid off,” he said.
He hoped his success would pave the way for many others like him from the militancy-torn state. “Thankfully, when I was studying, the valley was relatively peaceful.
Militancy was not that a major issue at that times. There were odd days when there was tension in Anantnag. But by and large it was okay,” he said.
Tens of thousands of students across the country prepare for years for the UPSC exams for prestigious government positions. Candidates get into the administrative services, the foreign and police services, apart from other central services.
Candidates can check their results, which is given in the order of merit, on the official website.