Two from Tamil Nadu figure in top 10 list of UPSC candidates

Chennai: Rajeswari Suve and Raja Mogaideen from Tamil Nadu on Friday scripted history by securing second and seventh rank in the all-India list of UPSC as this for the first time in over a decade that candidates from the state figure in the list of top ten.

As many as 60 people from Tamil Nadu cleared the exams with the DMK dispensation claiming that 55 out of them were trained under its flagship skill development programme, Naan Mudhalvan. The scheme offers incentives and residential programs for UPSC aspirants who clear an entrance exam and those who pass prelims examination.

Rajeswari has been preparing for UPSC for the past eight years and has cleared the exams in her sixth attempt. She is currently serving as Deputy Collector with the Tamil Nadu government after clearing the Group-1 exam conducted by the state Public Service Commission.

After getting trained for the exams from a private training institute, Rajeswari opted for Naan Mudhalvan scheme which she said help prepare her better for the prelims and thereafter. “I never gave up. It is a eight-year journey and I would not have come this far without the support of my parents. And I didn’t expect to be in the top 10 list. I always believed hard work pays off eventually and it has once again be proved today,” she said.

From her childhood, Rajeswari’s parents insisted on a disciplined life which helped her crack the exams. Her father is a businessman while her mother is a professor.

Raja Mogaideen, who has been preparing for three-and-a-half-year, also said he benefitted from the Naan Mudhalvan scheme and the cash incentives helped him manages his expenses. “The study materials that we received from the scheme helped us in many ways. I would only say that everyone has to stay patient and keep following one’s dream. I failed in two attempts and I have now succeeded in my third attempt,” Mogaideen added.