Shruti Sharma, Ankita Agarwal, and Gamini Singla have secured the first, second, and third rank respectively in the civil services examination 2021. The results were announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on May 30. As many as 685 candidates have qualified the prestigious test.
“I’m very happy with my result,” said an elated Shruti Sharma to ANI.
Explaining her preparation strategy for UPSC 2021, Sharma told, “My strategy was to make my own notes from newspapers & focus on answer writing practice for better presentation. I’ve used social media in a balanced way”.
Sharma stated that her preference is the Uttar Pradesh Cadre.
“I am very happy as she is happy. It is all due to her efforts. She was only interested in studies; in fact, we had to tell her to sleep. She used Social media in a limited way,” said Shruti’s mother Ruchi Sharma.
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Shruti graduated from St. Stephens College of Delhi University and joined Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) for her post-graduation. She later dropped out of JNU and joined the Delhi School of Economics at Delhi University to pursue a post-graduate degree. She prepared for the Civil Services exam at Jamia Millia Islamia Residential Coaching Academy.
It seems the list of female IAS toppers is only growing by the day giving a tough competition to men. From 2011 to 2022 a total of 6 women have secured Rank 1 in UPSC, which is deemed as the toughest exams in the country. There is no better proof of gender equality.
Here’s a rewind of the success stories of the ace women.
Nandini KR (IAS Rank 1: 2017)
Nandini KR from Karnataka secured the first rank in UPSC in 2017. After Ira Singhal who cleared UPSC Civil Services in 2015 followed by Tina Dabi in 2016, she was the third woman in a row who bagged rank 1 in the prestigious civil services examination.
Nandini is a civil engineering graduate from the MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bangalore. She belongs to the OBC category.
Tina Dabi (IAS Rank 1: 2016)
Tina Dabi secured 1st rank in the IAS Exam in 2016. She still remains the most popular role model for women seeking to ace UPSC.
Dabi is the first Dalit woman to hold the rank. She is a pass-out from Lady Shri Ram College, New Delhi.
Ira Singhal (IAS Rank 1: 2015)
Ira Singhal is the first physically challenged woman to top IAS.
The journey for Singhal started off as a challenge when despite clearing the toughest exam on her very first attempt; she was not allowed to take the position in office citing her physical disability as a criterion for ineligibility.
However, she did not lose hope and filed a petition in the court, that later went on in her favor.
Haritha V Kumar (IAS Rank 1: 2012)
UPSC Civil Services Exam 2012 Topper Haritha V Kumar is the first woman topper from the state of Kerala. The state of Kerala known for its literacy rate celebrated the first rank triumph after 22 years.
Haritha did her engineering at the Government Engineering College, Thiruvananthapuram, and specialized in Electronics and Communication.
Dr Shena Aggarwal (IAS Rank 1: 2011)
Dr. Shena Aggarwal made Haryana proud when she topped the UPSC civil services exam in 2011.
The Yamunanagar native is a doctor by profession and was undergoing her IRS training when she bagged rank 1 in the 2011 CSE.
Dr. Shena was also the topper of the CBSE Pre-Medical Test (PMT) held in 2004. She pursued her medical graduation at AIIMS, Delhi before which she had topped the class XII CBSE examination.