Karnataka reaps rich harvest in UPSC civil services exam

Nitish of Udupi bags 8th rank, Koratagere lad stands 36th

 The State has reaped a rich harvest in the UPSC Civil Services Exam, 2014. More than 60 candidates from the State have cracked the civil services with Udupi lad Nitish K topping the list with 8th all India ranking.  

 Nitish K, an engineering graduate from PES Institute of Engineering, Bengaluru, managed to feature in top 10 AIR list in his third attempt.

Son of K Ramakrishna Hebbar, an employee of Karnataka Bank and Bharati, a homemaker, Nitish hails from Kukkehalli in Perdur of Udupi district.

Speaking to Deccan Herald from Shimla, where he is undergoing training for Indian Audit and Accounts Service, Nitish said he is on cloud nine for achieving a good ranking and thanked his parents, uncle, a DySP with Karnataka police and his friend Vinay for their unflinching support.

In his first attempt in 2012, Nitish cleared the Prelims, Mains but missed the ranking by ten marks in the interview. However, he was able to clear all three rounds in his second attempt and gained 547th ranking in 2013. He joined Indian Audit and Accounts Service. Nitish said that he had planned his studies meticulously and studied for 10 to 12 hours a day. His optional subject was Maths.

Koratagere lad excels

Cracking the UPSC exams is entirely dependent on one’s will to do it rather than which city one prepares in and which coaching centre one attends to. This is the belief with which Balaji D K studied for the civil services examination. An alumnus of Bangalore University, Balaji has secured AIR 36 in the UPSC exam 2014. The 25-year-old is a native of Koratagere in Tumakuru district.

 Balaji, who opted Kannada literature as optional subject, cleared the exam in his second attempt. “In my first attempt I did not qualify for the interview. I worked hard this time. I was very calm during the interview. It felt more like a chat with elders sitting before me. I think it is very important for a candidate to be himself and not be pretentious before the panel,” he told Deccan Herald.

Balaji completed MBA at Canara Bank School of Management, Bangalore University. He studied degree in SSMRV College Jayanagar. He has been preparing from 2012. His father works at Teeta branch of Kaveri Gramina Bank and mother is a homemaker. His grandfather was interested in social service, and he had given him orientation for the same. His teacher Sachidananda Rao was a huge inspiration, said Balaji. 

Software to civil services

Another candidate from the City who has made it to the top (AIR 180) in the exam is Atul Vikas Kulkarni. Atul completed his computer science engineering from NIE College in Mysuru. He took up a job at Mindtree and worked there as a software engineer for three years. But he quit his job to pursue a PG course in Urban Policy at Tata Institute of Social Sciences. After working as a consultant at  Nasik Municipal Corporation, he took up a job in Arghyam, an NGO in the City.

 His interests are diverse, ranging from painting and classical music to making handicrafts and paper crafts.  Atul’s dissertation, Land, water and local people - A case study of the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor', has been published into a book.

Runs in the blood

K Arif Hafeez, who secured the 135 rank in the UPSC is the son of a retired IPS officer, H A Hafeez. He is a student of Cathedral High School in the City and and BE in Information Science from UVCE.

His brother, K Asif Hafeez, cleared the UPSC exam in 2010 and secured a 610th rank and is presently in the Indian Railway Personnel Service. What’s more, even his sister, who has completed her BDS, is also preparing for her KAS and UPSC civil service exams. “It feels unreal as I did not expect such a good rank. If one works hard and is sincere they can surely crack it,” he said.

Farmer’s son shines

Every year when the UPSC  results are declared, tales of a few candidates from humble backgrounds making the cut by their sheer grit and determination, offer inspiration to many.

 Here is one such awe-inspiring story. Sukhputra N O, who has secured the 1168 rank in the civil services exam, is a son of agrarian parents from Kundevu village in Chitraduraga district.

“Of the five attempts, I had managed to reach the interview stage on three occasions and I am glad that I finally cracked it this time,” a beaming Sukhputra said.

After completing his school education at his village, Sukhputra completed his graduation from Government Science College in Chitradurga.

Hailing from a remote village in parched Chitradurga, Sukhaputra faced a major hurdle in mastering English, however that he overcame this difficulty with his dedication. “I would read English newspapers and books and then jot down the tricky words and refer to a dictionary later,” he said.  Not the one to be content, Sukhputra will be giving the exam again. “With this rank, I think I will either get into the police service or revenue service. However, I will give the exam again till I achieve good ranking and become eligible to Indian Administration Service,” he said.