NEW DELHI / HYDERABAD : Telangana’s N Uma Harathi ranked an impressive third among the four women who topped the prestigious civil services 2022 exam, the results of which were announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) on Tuesday.
Ishita Kishore, a graduate of the Delhi University, secured the first spot, followed by Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi, and Smriti Mishra. Lohia and Mishra are also Delhi University graduates, while Uma Harathi holds a B.Tech degree from IIT-Hyderabad. Uma is the daughter of Narayanpet district SP N Venkateshwarlu.
Telangana scored well with five students standing in the top 100 and close to 40 making the cut out of the 933 qualified candidates. After Uma Harathi, Ajmera Sankeeth, a native of Kalampet village in Mancherial district, secured the 35th rank while Sri Sai Ashrith Sakhamuri was ranked 40, Richa Kulkarni 54, HS Bhavna 55, Sai Pranav 60, and Ayan Jain 87.
“This was my fifth attempt. This has been a long process and not easy. But it was a great journey,” a beaming Uma Harathi told reporters. This is the second year in a row that women have dominated the Civil Services exam.
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Last year, Shruti Sharma stood first in the country. According to the UPSC, 933 candidates - 613 men and 320 women – have qualified this time. The top 25 candidates comprise 14 women and 11 men. As soon as the results were out, an excited Ishita Kishore tweeted: “The best moment of my life. This is a big achievement for me and my family.” She credited her parents for her success and said, “I was confident about qualifying for the UPSC exam, but topping the merit list was a surprise. I want to serve the country by joining the Indian Administrative Services (IAS). I am so happy today.”
Sakhamuri, who secured 40th rank, said he had been preparing for UPSC for the past year-and-a-half. Sakhamuri, who cleared the exam in his first attempt after graduating in civil engineering from BITS Pilani, said, “I have prioritized Telangana for my services, and I am confident that even if there is only one vacancy, I will be selected. I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve my people.” Hailing from Warangal, Sakhamuri’s parents are involved in the construction business.
Notably, students from small towns and mandals in Telangana excelled in the examination. Anugu Shiva Maruti Reddy, who was ranked 132, belongs to Ailapur village in Jagtial district. Reddy had his primary education in a private school and later moved to Hyderabad for further studies. He success came in his second attempt.
Dongre Revaiah, ranked 410, hails from Thangadu village in Rebenna mandal, Komaram Bheem Asifabad district. Revaiah’s uncle, Durgam Vishwanath, explained that he had completed his primary education in a government school in Kagaznagar.
Subsequently, he attended Asifabad Gurukulam school from Classes V to X. His mother is mid-day meal worker in a government school. Revaiah cleared the UPSC examination in his second attempt.