This 22-year-old Delhi girl has topped civil services exam in her first attempt

Delhi girl Tina Dabi has topped the 2015 civil services examination, while railway officer Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan from Jammu and Kashmir has got second rank in the results which were declared today.

Topping the list in her first attempt, a beaming 22-year-old Tina, who graduated from Lady Shri Ram College in New Delhi, said, It is indeed a proud moment for me.

Citing less number of working women in Haryana, Civil Services exam topper Tina Dabi today said that she wants to work in the neighbouring state to contribute in empowerment of fairer sex there.  Crediting her mother, a former Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer, who took voluntary retirement from the job.

I always wanted to work in a challenging state. That is why I chose Haryana. We all know the sex ratio of girl and boy child is quiet less and that is why I would like to contribute my efforts for the empowerment of women there. My mother is my role model. She wanted me to study political science. I chose it and got through in the examination. It was one of my main subjects, she said

Tina’s father Jaswant is a serving IES officer. It is the best day of my life, he said. Tina was born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She did her schooling from Carmel Convent School there. Elaborating more on her choice of Haryana as preferred state to work in, she said women should be given more chance to work in administration.

Women empowerment is very important. I have seen how my mother has brought up me. It is because of her guidance and support that I could get top position in the test, she told PTI here at her home.

Tina is the eldest daughter of the family. Her younger sister Ria has passed Class XII this year. Her mother Himali said she provided all support to her daughter to prepare for the civil services exam. “It is not easy to prepare for this exam. It is very tough. Today’s result is all because of her hard efforts,” she said.

Her mother was also sporting a badge with the message My daughter, my hero on her dress. My daughter is really my hero. There is No Alternative (TINA) for her, she quipped.

Besides them, Delhi-based Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, an Indian Revenue Service officer, has secured third position.

23-year-old Athar, who hails from Anantnag in South Kashmir, got through the test in his second attempt. In his first attempt in 2014, he had got Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) and is presently undergoing training in Indian Railways Institute of Transport Management, Lucknow.

It is a dream come true, an elated Athar said, adding, I will not leave any stone unturned to work for the betterment of people. I have opted for Jammu and Kashmir cadre also. I will be happy in case I get chance to work there. I think there is a lot of scope to fulfil aspirations of people of my state, he told PTI.

Jasmeet, whose father works in Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) here, thanked his parents and teachers for his success.

It is all because of my family, friends and Mukul Pathak sir (who runs a coaching class) that I could secure third rank in the exam, he said.

Jasmeet was also selected in 2014 civil services exam and had got Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise). He is undergoing training at National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics in Faridabad. This was his fourth attempt.

A total of 1,078 candidates, including 499 in General category, 314 belonging to Other Backward Class, 176 from Scheduled Caste and 89 from Scheduled Tribe, have been recommended for appointment to various central government services, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said. There are 172 other candidates in the waiting list.

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The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages– preliminary,mains and interview– to select candidates for the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.