Disabled woman tops UPSC exam

Ira Singhal, a 31-year-old Delhi woman, created history on Saturday by becoming the first person with disability to top the civil service examination in which four of the top five slots were bagged by women.

Renu Raj, a 27-year-old doctor from Kerala, secured second rank in her first attempt.
Nidhi Gupta, an IRS officer from Delhi, came third. Vandana Rao bagged fourth rank while Suharsha Bhagat, also an IRS officer from Bihar, got the fifth position.

Ira, who suffers from Scoliosis – a spine-related disorder –  is an inspiration for women and disabled people as she overcame her disability to complete her computer engineering, MBA and several other courses. She also worked as Customer Development Manager for Cadbury India Ltd from 2008 to 2010.

Long and difficult road

Ira has travelled a long way and fought hard all along. In 2010, despite clearing the civil services exam and qualifying for IRS, she was not included in the service.  The government thought that as a candidate having problems with both arms, she was eligible only for IAS and not for any other service.

Ira, who has 62 per cent disability, took the government to the Central Administrative Tribunal and, after a battle, won the case to get inducted into the IRS last year.

“Probably, this would help others in viewing women and disabled in a better way,” a beaming Ira said in Hyderabad where she is undergoing training as an IRS officer. As messages of congratulations poured in, her father Rajendra Singhal and mother Anita said she was an all-rounder and one who was not bogged down by adversities.

Vandana, the fourth rank holder, is the topper in the OBC category while fifth rank holder Suharsha is a Chemical Engineer from IIT-Bombay. Nitish K from Karnataka secured eighth rank. Altogether, 1,236 candidates have been selected for the civil services this time. Among the selected, 180 will be chosen for IAS, 150 for IPS and 32 for IFS. Remaining will be given posting in Group A services (710) and Group B services (292) depending on their ranks.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated those who successfully cleared the civil services exam. “My best wishes as you begin the journey to serve the nation. To those who didn’t clear the exam- such moments are a part of life. This must not deter you from your future endeavours,” Modi tweeted.