Civil Services results out; Varun Reddy makes Telugus proud

New Delhi/ Hyderabad: Kanishak Kataria, a B Tech from IIT Bombay, topped the Civil Services final examination 2018, results of which were announced by the UPSC on Friday, while Srushti Jayant Deshmukh is the topper among women candidates securing an overall fifth rank.

The second rank holder Akshat Jain, is an engineering graduate from IIT Guwahati. Aspirants from reputed institutes in the twin cities also secured good ranks in the 2018 UPSC Civil Services examination.

In a press communique, Brain Tree, a leading IAS coaching institute informed that about 39,027 candidates had appeared for the Preliminary from the two Telugu Speaking States, about 500 of them qualified for the Mains and over 75 aspirants are expected to be qualified for the personality test.

Gopala Krishna, the institute's Director, who saw 15 candidates make the cut said, "It is a balanced result with candidates from different backgrounds and optionals qualifying in the list.

About 50 per cent of the aspirants who were shortlisted for the interview from the Telugu States have been certified for Services.

The competition is becoming intense every year. This year, as the number of vacancies was far less than last year, the number of candidates who have qualified is proportionately lower as compared to last year. The result is expected to be much higher at the 2019 examination with the increased number of vacancies this year."

The CSB Academy owned by IAS officer-turned-educationalist Balalatha Mallavarapu secured seven ranks in the top 500. In a press note issued by La Excellence IAS, the institute declared that its candidates bagged ranks 78, 267, 293, 303, 560, 612 and 637.

Nine candidates were successful from the Narayana IAS Academy. In a statement, the UPSC said a total of 759 candidates (577 men and 182 women) have been recommended by the Commission for appointment to various services like IAS, IPS, IFS etc. Kataria belongs to SC category and qualified the examination with Mathematics as his optional subject.

He is a B Tech (Computer Science and Engineering) graduate. Deshmukh, a B E (Chemical Engineering) graduate from Rajiv Gandhi Proudyogiki Vishwavidyalaya, Bhopal, is the topper among women candidates securing an overall fifth rank, the statement said.

The Civil Services (Preliminary) examination, 2018, was conducted on June 3, 2018. A total of 10,65,552 candidates applied for this examination, out of which 4,93,972 candidates actually appeared. A total of 10,468 candidates qualified for appearance in the written (main) examination which was held in September-October, 2018.

A total of 1994 candidates qualified for the personality test conducted in February-March, 2019. The top 25 candidates comprise 15 men and 10 women. The recommended candidates also include 36 persons with benchmark disability (11 orthopedically handicapped; 12 visually challenged, 11 hearing impaired and two multiple disability).

The second rank holder Akshat Jain, an Engineering graduate from IIT Guwahati, told PTI he was elated and one of the reasons why he appeared in the civil services examination was to serve the society. Hailing from Jaipur, Akshat's father is an IPS officer while mother is an Indian Revenue Service officer, who also motivated him to join the Civil Services.

Deshmukh, who will be the first Civil Servant in her family, is an M Phil in Chemical Engineering. She said she had faith in herself and that helped her clear the prestigious examination in her first attempt. Daughter of an engineer father and a pre-school teacher mother, Srushti hails from Bhopal.

"I think it is the consistency and the faith in yourself that make one achieve all goals," she told PTI. The number of vacancies reported by the government to be filled is as under: IAS-180 (including reserved category), IFS-30, IPS-150, Central Services Group 'A'-384, Group 'B' services-68.

Optional subjects of the top 25 candidates in the examination ranged from Anthropology, Chemistry, Commerce & Accountancy, Geography, Law, Maths, History, Political Science & International Relations, Public Administration, Psychology, Sociology, and English Literature.