26 candidates from Karnataka clear UPSC Civil Services Examination

Unlike other years, this year only one candidate found a place in the top 100

Rashmi Belur, DHNS, Bengaluru,

Sep 24 2021, 23:54 ist
updated: Sep 24 2021, 23:54 ist

Akshay Simha, who secured 77th rank in the Civil Services Exam conducted by the UPSC, is congratulated by his parents in Bengaluru. Credit: Special arrangement

As many as 26 students from Karnataka have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination (CSE) conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) for the year 2020. The results were declared by the UPSC on Friday evening.

Akshay Simha, a 26-year-old banker, has topped in the state by securing 77th rank in the overall list. Despite studying science, Akshay took Kannada literature as the optional subject in CSE. "Instead of stressing myself by reading a lot of books, I decided to stay focused and took all the test series offered by my coaching institute," said Akshay.

Akshay took coaching at the Bengaluru-based Insights IAS academy in Chandra Layout and cleared the exam in his second attempt. "The interview was cordial. There was no hurry or no scope for fear,” Akshay recalled. Interestingly, Akshay has decided to choose Foreign Service (IFS) over IAS. "I have always been interested in foreign diplomacy." He completed M.Sc in 2018 and recently bagged a job in one of the banks. "My uncle is a retired IAS officer and he is my inspiration," he added.

While it was common all these years to see at least five to six candidates from Karnataka feature in the top 100, this year only one candidate found a place among the first 100 successful candidates. As many as three candidates featured in the top 300.

Yatish R, an engineer from RV College of Engineering (RVCE), is a native of Kanakapura and has secured the 115th rank. "During 2019, I got selected for the IPS, but my dream was to join the IAS. Hence, I took the exam again in 2020," he said. Yatish was also coached at the Insights IAS.

M Nischay, yet another topper from Mysuru, has secured 130th rank. Interestingly, he did not avail any coaching from a professional institute. Soon after completing his engineering course in 2019, Nishchay started preparing for the exam on his own. "I do not think coaching is necessary to clear the UPSC examination. What we need are dedication and effort. I am ready to take up any of the services," he said. Similarly, another candidate KM Priyanka has secured 121st rank.

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