The top rank winner is the brilliant 24-year-old law graduate from Chennai, S Divyadarshini, who has emerged successful in her second attempt. Fighting corruption is high on her agenda, she told reporters after her triumph as IAS topper.

“I want to be within the system and make a difference, rather than complain from outside,” she said. She secured her  BL (Hons) degree from the Tamil Nadu Dr Ambedkar Law University here.

The all-India third rank winner, R V Varun Kumar, is switching to police service from dentistry. Hailing from a common middle class family in Tiruchirappalli – his father Veerasekharan was a state NSS Liaison Officer — Varun did his dental surgery course from a private medical college in Chennai. “Somehow my mind was not in dentistry and I gave it up in 2007,” Varun told Deccan Herald over the phone. He realised that his calling in life, under his father’s inspiration, was the civil services.

Varun initially got into the CRPF as the 67th all-India rank holder as his passion was for the Indian Police Service (IPS). He again took the IAS/IPS exam last year and has bagged the third rank.

Hailing the Right to Information (RTI) Act as landmark legislation to help common people tackle administrative corruption, Divyadarshini said she was hopeful of pursuing her goal to fight this social menace.

She did not expect to be a topper and she had was no secret formula for success other than hard work and a systematic approach to studies. “Don’t neglect hard work,” was her advice to youngsters.

Varun too relied on “sheer hard work and perseverance, a belief that one day I will be there.” He attributed his success also to his family’s complete support “both emotionally and financially.”

Varun also acknowledged the coaching he received at the ‘Manidha Neyam IAS Academy’ founded by former AIADMK MLA Sadai S Duraisamy.

It imparts free coaching to all civil services aspirants. Interestingly, 36 Tamil Nadu candidates including seven women who have come out in flying colours are all from Duraisamy’s IAS Academy. After the results were declared, Varun called on Duraisamy and sought his blessings.

Duraisamy is one of the candidates contesting against the DMK’s M K Stalin in the Kolathur constituency near here.