Took inspiration from RINL plant to crack UPSC exam, says qualifier Lakshmi Soujanya

Many of us know RINL as yet another steel producing company, but M Lakshmi Soujanya — who has made it to the 2020 Civil Service Examination qualifiers' list — says the PSU's township has been a "pillar of support" for her and she took a lot of inspiration from its '24X7' running plant.

Soujanya, daughter of M Venkata Rao who works as a senior manager at the Steel Melting Shop (SMS) 1 at RINL plant in Visakhapatnam, has scored 127th rank in the coveted UPSC examination, results for which were announced last week.

Speaking to PTI, Soujanya said it was the RINL plant that gave her the steely resolve to crack one of the toughest examinations in the country.

"Our plant functions 24X7 for all of us. I knew I have to prepare in a similar way for the exam," she said.

Also Read | 761 clear civil services exam; 26 from Karnataka: UPSC

The 32-year-old Soujanya was speaking from Tirupati in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh.

She also expressed her wish to "pay back" to the township where she was born and brought up. "RINL was always there like a pillar of support for me. Along with a few other previous UPSC qualifiers, I would like to set up a preparation centre in the township."

The students looking to prepare for UPSC can get all study material and counselling from the centre, she said.

Soujanya said Union Minister of Steel Faggan Singh Kulaste has also congratulated her on clearing the examination.

Also Read | Dream to join IAS and serve underprivileged realised: Civil services exam topper Shubham Kumar

In a telephonic conversation, the minister said "he is happy that someone from the steel family has made it to the examination. He said to me it is time to pay back to the nation and society," she said.

Speaking further about her experience at the RINL township, Soujanya said she has spent her childhood there. She has done her schooling from DAV Public School located in the plant area.

After schooling, she went to NIT Warangal to pursue B-Tech in Computer Science from where she went to take up a job in a private company.

When asked how she made up her mind for the examination, the engineering graduate replied "I was working with a company in Bengaluru. I had come to Visakhapatnam during the holidays when my uncle asked me to try for UPSC. I took it seriously and quit my job. I worked there till 2016."

Check out latest DH videos here