BHUBANESWAR: Women retained their supremacy by securing the top three ranks in the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Examination 2020 the results of which were declared by Odisha Public Service Commission (OPSC) on Friday.While 24-year-old Tejaswini Behera of Bhubaneswar topped the examination, Subhankari Sudeshna Dash and Ananya Sristi Satpathy secured second and third ranks respectively.
It was Tejaswini’s first attempt at the OCS. Although she had fared well in the examination, first rank was something she had not dreamt of. After completing her PG in Economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi last year, Tejaswini returned to Odisha to prepare for OCS and Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations. Tejaswini said she had been interested in administrative service since her school days.
“I studied 10 to 12 hours everyday to prepare for both UPSC and OCS examinations. I am waiting for UPSC results now,” said the alumnus of BJB College. She wants to work in the fields of women empowerment and healthcare in Odisha.
Subhankari, a veterinarian, cleared the OCS in her second attempt. She had appeared for OCS back in 2019 but could not clear the prelims. An alumnus of College of Veterinary Sciences, OUAT, 27-year Subhankari had always been keen on the administrative service. “I wanted to pursue MBBS to heal people but that did not happen. I shifted to veterinary science and after completing my PG in veterinary obstetrics, I decided to prepare for OCS,” said the youngster, who wants to take government schemes to people at the grassroots.
Ananya, on the other hand, had thought of finding a spot in the OCS recommendation list. “But third rank was a surprise,” said the Bargarh native. The 28-year-old first sat for the examination in 2019 and cleared the prelims but could not appear for the mains due to personal reasons.
Prior to OCS, she appeared for UPSC four times but could not crack. Ananya did not lose faith in her ability. “My family looked up to me with hope and I could not disappoint them,” she said. A mechanical engineering graduate from VSSUT-Burla, she has also done her degree in social science from Tata Institute of Social Sciences.
Ananya has no particular preferences as far as work areas are concerned. “Every sector has its challenges and I am prepared to work in any domain that the government deems me fit for,” she said.The OPSC in its notification informed that a total of 392 candidates cleared the examination of which 148 are females. Back in 2018, three girls had topped the prestigious examination.