
Not eligible to be sweeper, but I'm IAS officer: UPSC topper Ira
Four years after the government cancelled her candidature for the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) because of her disability, Ira Singhal has emerged triumphant by becoming the first physically challenged candidate to top the prestigious civil services examination.
“Irony is that on medical and physical grounds, I am not eligible to be an IRS, a clerk or even a sweeper, but the rules do allow me to become an IAS (officer),” Singhal said shortly after securing the first rank in the test conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
“I still haven’t checked the rank myself. Hope my friends and you guys saw it properly and confirmed it’s in fact me,” she joked.
Singhal’s phone has been ringing since the news broke and as HT was speaking to her, she received a call from a top official of the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT), informing her the minister wants to meet her on Monday.
Read: Ira Singhal tops UPSC exam, top four positions secured by women
This is the same DoPT that had rejected her for the IRS even after her selection for the service in 2010. The reason: Singhal, 31, has been affected by scoliosis or curvature of the spine from birth and is physically challenged.
One of the reasons cited was Singhal’s 62% disability that affected both arms and would not allow her to pull, push and lift heavy packets — an ability the government felt was necessary for her to be in the IRS (Customs and Central Excise).
But Singhal’s success is built on a foundation of intense struggle and she has never allowed her disability to stand in her way. She surely wasn’t going to let a silly rule put her down.
She took her fight to the Central Administrative Tribunal and got a favourable ruling in February 2014, with the panel wondering if an IRS officer really needs to lift heavy packets during a raid. A medical examination showed Singhal could lift packets weighing up to 10 kg.
Singhal, currently in the Dr MCR HRD Institute in Hyderabad as part of her training, went on with the target of getting into the Indian Administrative Service (IAS).
She said her struggle to get into the IRS taught her the best lessons of her life. “Actually, every struggle teaches you something. There is a possibility of defeat but in life you have to fight on.”
Singhal, an engineer and an MBA, was born in Meerut. Her parents, who are into the business of financial and insurance consultancy, live in New Delhi’s Safdarjung Enclave.
“They never treated me like I was physically handicapped. From childhood they taught me to take things like a normal person does. My struggle in this world was not because I am physically challenged but as a woman...like any other woman subjected to discrimination or some backward thinking,” she said.
One of her endeavours as an IAS officer will be to work for women, children and the physically challenged.
“I want to say to everyone, let your daughters study and work. Let them go out in the world and make something of their lives,” said Singhal.
Singhal, who topped in the general category despite her medical condition, has a lot of hobbies – dance, drama, and travel among them.
Her friend and fellow IRS officer Manudev Jain says Singhal is a ‘shararati’ person. “She plans the pranks, we execute them together.”
Read
IAS gives chance to be agent of change: 6th ranked Charusree
Perseverance has its reward, says UPSC 2nd rank-holder Renu Raj

MHT CET five-year LLB final merit list 2020 released, check here
- Candidates can check the MHT CET five-year LLB final merit list online at cetcelladmissions.mahait.org.

BITS Pilani launches management school

Schools, colleges reopen after a gap of 10 months in Manipur

Para teachers demonstrate outside WB Assembly demanding pay parity

UP Boards 2021: UPMSP identifies 8,497 centres for conducting exams
- Uttar Pradesh Madhyamik Shiksha Parishad aka UP Board will conduct its high school and intermediate examinations-2021 at 8,497 centres spread across the state

Revenues of Education companies to remain flat in 2020-21: Report

IIT-Kanpur short lists 20 students from J&K for virtual internship
- The students will be given exposure to various laboratories of IIT K and every week a special lecture on latest technological advancements would be held.

CBSE 10th, 12th board exams dates to be announced on Feb 2: Pokhriyal
- Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal made this announcement during his live interaction session with CBSE school principals.

AIBE-XV answer key on January 30, results in first week of March
- The Bar Council of India will release the answer key of All India Bar Exam (AIBE)-XV on Saturday, January 30.

Live Updates: CBSE to announce board exam schedule for Class 10th, 12th on Feb 2
- CBSE class 10, 12 board examination schedule will be released on February 2, Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ said.

1 more arrested in Karnataka PSC exam leak case

Schools for Classes 9 and 11 to resume in Gujarat from Feb 1

CAG recruitment 2021: 10,811 vacancies of auditors and accountants on offer
- Interested and eligible candidates can apply for the positions in a prescribed format on or before February 19, 2021.

MU convocation event online but certificates to be distributed by institutes
- MU’s online convocation is scheduled to take place on February 1 this year.

RBI Grade B Recruitment 2021: 322 vacancies on offer, here's direct link
- Interested and eligible candidates can apply for the positions online at rbi.gov.in on or before February 15, 2021.