It's a dream come true, says civil services exam topper Ishita Kishore
New Delhi, May 23: Delhi University graduate and daughter of an Air Force officer, Ishita Kishore said achieving the first rank in the civil services examination is like a dream come true for her and she would work towards women empowerment after becoming an IAS officer.
Twenty-six-year-old Kishore cleared the prestigious examination on her third attempt.
"I am very happy over getting the first rank. It's a dream come true for me," Kishore told PTI.
She expressed gratitude towards her family for continuously encouraging her.
"I have a lot of gratitude for my family who stood with me when I could not clear the civil services examination in the first two attempts. They encouraged me a lot," she said.
Kishore, the younger of two siblings, said she used to study for at least eight to nine hours a day to prepare for the examination.
"The success is the result of my hard work," she said.
Kishore's father was an Air Force officer and her mother used to teach at a private school. Her elder brother is a lawyer.
"I have opted for the Indian Administrative Service. I have given my preference for Uttar Pradesh cadre," she said.
Kishore, who has also been a national-level football player, said she would work for women's empowerment and the upliftment of neglected people.
"I am a national-level football player. I participated in the Subroto Cup football tournament in 2012," she said.
Kishore, who lives in neighbouring Greater Noida, qualified for the examination with political science and international relations as her optional subject. She graduated in Economics (Hons.) from Shri Ram College of Commerce, University of Delhi.
As many as 933 candidates -- 613 men and 320 women -- have qualified for the civil services examination 2022, the results of which were announced on Tuesday by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).
The top 25 candidates comprise 14 women and 11 men, it said.
The civil services examination is conducted annually in three stages -- preliminary, main and interview -- by the UPSC to select officers of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS) among others.
The first four rank holders are all women as Garima Lohia, Uma Harathi N and Smriti Mishra secured the second, third and fourth ranks in the examination.
"It is really heartening to see women getting the top four ranks," Kishore said.
Lohia and Mishra are graduates of the University of Delhi, while Harathi N is a B.Tech degree holder from IIT-Hyderabad.
This is the second year in a row that women candidates got the top three ranks in the prestigious exam.
Shruti Sharma, Ankita Agarwal and Gamini Singla had secured the first, second and third positions in the civil services examination 2021.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
UDF leaders see local body poll trends as pointer to 2026 Assembly elections in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Buoyed by the strong performance of the Congress-led UDF in the local body polls, KPCC president Sunny Joseph said on Saturday that the front's results indicated the people had rejected the LDF government.
According to early trends, the UDF was leading in more grama panchayats, block panchayats, municipalities and corporations than the LDF.
The local body polls were held in two phases in the state earlier this week.
ALSO READ: Cong candidate who moved Kerala HC for name reinstatement in voter list, wins
Speaking to reporters here, Joseph said the people of Kerala had extended their support to the UDF.
"We could expose the LDF government’s anti-people stance and the people understood it. The LDF’s fake propaganda was rejected by the people. The UDF is moving towards a historic victory," he said.
He said a united effort, proper preparations, good candidate selection and hard work had resulted in the Congress and the UDF’s victory in the elections.
Asked about the prospects in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Joseph said the party was studying the matter and would comment later.
LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan said the results would be closely examined.
According to him, the government had done everything possible for the people.
"Why such a verdict happened will be examined at the micro level. People’s opinion will be considered and further steps will be taken," he said.
He added that decisions would be taken after analysing the results. "If any corrective measures are required, we will initiate them and move forward," he said.
AICC leader K C Venugopal said the results showed that people had begun ousting those who, he alleged, were responsible for the loss of gold at Lord Ayyappa’s temple.
"This trend will continue in the Assembly elections as well. It is an indication that the people are ready to bring down the LDF government," he said.
Venugopal said the UDF had registered victories even in CPI(M) and LDF strongholds.
"I congratulate all UDF workers for their hard work. Congress workers and leaders worked unitedly," he said.
Referring to remarks made by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan against the Congress on polling day, Venugopal said the voters had responded through the verdict.
"I do not know whether the chief minister understands that the people are against him. Otherwise, he does not know the sentiment of the people. The state government cannot move an inch further," he said.
He said the results indicated a strong comeback for the UDF in Kerala.
Asked whether the Sabarimala gold loss issue had affected the LDF in the local polls, Venugopal said the CM and the CPI(M) state secretary did not take the issue seriously.
"We took a strong stand on the matter. The BJP played a foul game in it," he alleged.
On the BJP's role in the local body elections, Venugopal alleged that the party operated with the CPI(M) 's tacit support.
"The CPI(M) supported the central government on issues such as PM-SHRI, labour codes and corruption in national highway construction. The CPI(M) is facing ideological decline, and the state government’s policies are against the party’s own decisions," he said.
Meanwhile, LDF ally Kerala Congress (M) leader Jose K Mani said the party could not win all the wards it had expected in the elections.
He congratulated winners from all parties and said the party would closely examine the losses and identify shortcomings. "Later, we will take corrective measures," he added.
Senior Congress leader and MP Rajmohan Unnithan said the trends in the local body elections indicated that the UDF would return to power in the 2026 Assembly elections.
"We will win 111 seats as in 1977 and return to power in 2026. The anti-government sentiment of the people is reflected in the elections," he said.
Unnithan said the people were disturbed and unhappy with the present government.
"The trend indicates the end of the LDF government," he added.
CPI(M) MLA M M Mani said the people had shown ingratitude towards the LDF despite benefiting from welfare schemes.
"After receiving all welfare schemes and living comfortably, people voted against us due to some temporary sentiments. Is that not ingratitude," he asked.
Mani said no such welfare initiatives had taken place in Kerala earlier.
"People are receiving pensions and have enough to eat. Even after getting all this, they voted against us. This is what can be called ingratitude," he said.
Muslim League state president Panakkad Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal said the results were beyond expectations.
"The outcome points towards the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, indicating that a change of government is imminent. We are going to win the Assembly election," he said.
