Standing tall in her dinky unfinished home in a remote village in Nedumangad in Thiruvananthapuram, B K Arya smiles heartily. The dark dwelling seems to light up instantly with the joy reflecting on the faces of her onlookers. Her parents, K Balan, a carpenter and S Kumari, a house wife, still have not come to terms with their daughter’s winning. It was only a few days ago that they received the news that Arya has secured the 12th rank in Indian Economic Service (IES) Exam, Grade-A, Civil Service Examinations.
This 24-year-old holds the second position in the state after Arun from Pathanamthitta, who clinched the fifth rank nation-wide.
“I was always a good student. So when I had 87 percent in my SSLC exam, everyone advised me to follow the norms by joining engineering or medicine. But I took Humanities for my Plus II as I was not fond of science. Later, I joined Mar Ivanios College, Nalanchira for my Economics degree. Until then I was not familiar with the possibilities of Economics. But there I received the right mentoring,” says Arya.
Arya, who studied in a Malayalam medium school (Aanadu SNVHSS) until her Plus II, struggled to find her footing at Mar Ivanios College, where every subject was taught in English. But she worked hard by making reading a habit. She credits the English newspapers The Hindu and The New Indian Express for her proficiency in English today.
“At first I found it difficult to concentrate on studies, when I went to college. Because of the traveling I had to do everyday. It took around one and a half hours to reach college from home. I had to walk a long way before reaching the bus stop. But once it became a routine I tried to manage studies as well. I got the sixth rank for my BA,” says Arya.
Arya is not your quintessential achiever, who designs her life early on in life. Rather, she had no plans to continue her education after her degree in Economics, says Narayanan sir, her mentor who later led her towards Economic service. And Arya thanks Narayanan sir for all her achievements.
Arya heard about Narayanan sir, while she was studying at Mar Ivanios College. Narayanan, who conducted regular IES and IAS training for interested students was only too happy to receive the illustrious Arya to his camp. He has the maximum number of students, who gained IAS and IES ranks in the state. Even the fifth rankholder Arun was also once Narayanan’s student. Haritha, the IAS first rank holder from the state was also this veteran’s disciple.
“I am so happy for Arya because she has struggled much to reach where she is today. She is coming from a poor family background with no one but her resilience to help her,” says Narayanan.
Unlike other IES or IAS candidates Arya had to face severe financial crisis during her studies. But she has taken it all in her stride. She had BPL (Below Poverty Line) and other merit scholarships to aid her studies but there were instances when she couldn’t meet her ends with those. “Those struggles have made me stronger. So they were not my weaknesses but my strengths,” says Arya.
Arya, who secured the third rank in her Post Graduate Degree in Economics from Karyavattom University, is currently doing her research in the subject. She is planning to join the service when required and do the research part time. She also has a UGC NET and JRF to her credit.
“I also have plans to try for IAS. So have to prepare for that as well,” says Arya. To those who are trying for IES or IAS Arya has only one thing to say ‘hard work’. Arya’s family helped her immensely especially her father and her uncle, who have struggled much to give her the education she needed. “We are slightly dizzy with excitement. I don’t need anything else in my life,” says Balan, whose face conveys far more than his words.