With the world-wide celebration of motherhood slated for May 12, this successful 26-year-old IAS aspirant says that his strong-willed and supportive mother has been his inspiration throughout his life.
M Bharani Kumar, who secured the 109th rank in the civil services examination conducted in 2012, said he opted for the civil services as he thought it would give him a platform to serve the people. “We need not conform to the usual set-up, but, instead, use it as an opportunity to bring about a change in the system,” he pointed out.
A B Tech graduate in metallurgy and material sciences from the National Institute of Technology, Srinagar, he was employed at the Bharat Aluminium Company at Korba, Chhattisgarh, until his mother B Malarvizhi developed a spinal problem. He quit his job, came back to the city to be with his mother and nursed her through her illness. “My mother is a very determined person. She has not only been extremely supportive of my efforts, but has also made a lot of sacrifices,” Bharani Kumar said.
No wonder, Malarvizhi (50), chief manager and relationship manager at SBI, is a proud mother today. She is the first graduate in her family. Describing her son as hardworking, studious and quiet, she said he had been a good student all through his academic career, winning the ‘best outgoing all-rounder’ award in class 10 and 12 at Kendriya Vidyalaya, IIT-M campus, and a gold medal in B.Tech. It was Bharani Kumar’s second shot at the UPSC examination, which paid off. He enrolled in SRM IAS Academy in January 2011. With geography and political science as his optional subjects, he missed qualifying for the main examination by five marks in his first attempt.
The experience made him realise that he had to focus more on general studies, grasp the questions, react quickly and organise the answers well.
To other IAS aspirants, says, “Keep yourself thoroughly updated by reading and gathering additional information from different websites.”