A 29-year old Indian Revenue Service officer from Haryana, Pradeep Singh (pictured) has topped the 2019 Indian Public Service Examination at his fourth attempt.
Results announced by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) last week, almost three months later than usual due to disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, had Jatin Kishore (Delhi) in second place and Pratibha Verma (Uttar Pradesh) third and the best female candidate.
A total of 829 candidates have been selected for the various Services.
The results are on the basis of the written examination held in September 2019 and the interviews for a personality test held between February and August this year.
Mr Singh said he had hoped for a high rank in the examination, but had never expected to top it.
A computer science graduate, he is working as an inspector in the Income Tax Department, a position he earned after placing 260th at a previous examination.
People who pass the examination at a lower level often take it again in the hope of improving their ranking sufficiently to be able to enter one of the more prestigious services such as the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) or the Indian Foreign Service (IFS).
Mr Singh said his father, Sukhbir Singh, a farmer, had been his “pillar of strength” and biggest motivation as he sought to improve himself.
“There were times when I thought like quitting since it is difficult to prepare for the examinations while working in a job, but my father encouraged me not to give up,” Mr Singh said.
Looking ahead, he said he hoped to “work for the poor” and contribute towards the development of the nation.
The 10 per cent quota for Economically Weaker Sections was implemented for the first time this year, with 78 candidates selected under that category.
Apart from 304 successful candidates in the General Category, there were 251 from Other Backward Classes, 129 from Scheduled Castes and 67 from Scheduled Tribes.
The successful candidates will join the IAS, IFS, Indian Police Service and other Services depending on their rankings and choices.
New Delhi, 6 August 2020
