CHENNAI: T Bhuvaneshram, a native of Tiruvallur, cleared the UPSC civil services examination (2023) with an all India rank of 41. According to sources, he is the top ranker from the state. While this is his sixth attempt, maintaining emotional balance and a well-rounded personality, and believing in the process helped him get through in his long journey.
Currently serving as an assistant manager at NABARD in Thiruvananthapuram, Bhuvaneshram started preparing for civil services following his undergraduate studies, at an institute in Bengaluru. “My parents instilled in me a passion for public service as part of my upbringing. My father, who is working as an assistant executive engineer in Tangedco, also motivates me to help people. If you want to help people and also get paid for it, civil services is the best option,” said Bhuvaneshram.
While his parents supported him for five years while he was preparing, he took up work as an assistant manager in NABARD last year. “My parents were gracious enough to support me this long. But I couldn’t continue to depend on them and took up the job,” he added. Meanwhile, he also did an internship at the Tiruvallur collector’s office in 2022 which helped him get ground level experience in a few sectors like fisheries.
When asked about the challenges of preparing for the last six years, Bhuvaneshram said that his ability to lead a compartmentalised life and trust the process helped him. “Like cricketer Dhoni says, it is important to trust the process. I don’t believe it is necessary to study a particular number of hours. However, one has to know the syllabus well. It is important to have balance, emotional clarity and also love yourself. I think a well-rounded personality is also essential. While I studied, I also pursued interests such as participating in half-marathons and writing movie reviews,” he said.