Mysore/Mysuru: Five candidates from Mysuru district have excelled in Union Public Services Commission’s (UPSC) Civil Services Exam-2023, the results of which was announced on Tuesday. A total of 1,016 candidates across the country have cleared the exam and Aditya Srivastava of Uttar Pradesh has secured All India Rank (AIR) 1, followed by Animesh Pradhan – AIR 2 and Donuru Ananya Reddy – AIR 3.

While from Mysuru district J. Bhanu Prakash has secured 600th rank, K.L. Sooraj – 713th rank, K.T. Meghana – 721st rank, M. Lekhan – 777th rank and N. Thejaswini – 787th rank.

Bhanu Prakash, a native of Kestur Koppal, K.R. Nagar taluk in the district, is the son of farmer Jayarame Gowda and anganwadi worker Girijamma couple. He had secured 448th rank in the previous UPSC exam which was his second attempt to make it into civil services and got into Indian Police Service (IPS).

Speaking to SOM Bhanu Prakash said: “I had appeared for UPSC exam to better my previous performance, but in vain. Had I got a better ranking this time, I could have quit IPS. However, I will continue with IPS as I couldn’t achieve the aim despite putting in more efforts unlike previous exam. However, I won’t feel disappointed.”

“In all likelihood I will appear for the exam again, despite being in service, thus continuing my efforts to achieve the target. What ticks one especially in this exam is constant studies by maintaining the consistency. By doing so, anybody can crack UPSC exam,” said Bhanu Prakash in his advice to civil         services aspirants.

Sooraj, who hails from Virajpet in Kodagu district, is the son of K.B. Lingaraj and Geetha Raj couple, residents of Siddarthanagar in Mysuru city. Lingaraj is working as Superintendent at Customs Department and posted at GST Division here, while Geetha Raj is a housewife.

Sooraj is currently working at Ministry of Home Affairs and posted at Kempegowda International Airport Limited, Devanahalli in Bengaluru. He is an alumnus of JSS Public School, Siddarthanagar, Mysuru and Sri Sathya Sai Loka Seva Trust Educational Institutions, Alike in Dakshina Kannada district and graduate in Computer Science Engineering from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE), Mysuru.

Elated over tasting success in his third attempt at UPSC, Sooraj said: “I worked hard for consecutive three years and finally feel elated over the results. I first wrote the exam in 2021 and also appeared for the mains, while I failed in the prelims in the subsequent year of exam in 2022. Now, with the present ranking, I am confident that I can give another try at the exam, but will think about it later.”

Following his engineering, Sooraj had landed a cushy job at a software company as business analyst, but the urge to crack civil services exam, forced him to quit the job. Apart from preparing for civil services, he appeared for the exams of Ministry of Home Affairs and also succeeded in securing a job.

In his advice to fellow aspirants, Sooraj said: “One who is serious in preparation, they should continue doing with it. It is like a marathon, not a sprint, but at the same time, it is imperative to be aware that there are lots of other opportunities too which are intellectually challenging like UPSC. One should also have a ‘plan B’ in mind.”

Meghana, another topper from Mysuru who is presently settled in Bengaluru, hails from Bettadapura, Periyapatna taluk in the district. Her father Thandavamurthy is a businessman and mother Navaneetha, a homemaker. She holds MA in English and has so far appeared in six UPSC exam and has succeeded thrice including the latest 2023 exam. While she finished with 464th rank in 2020 and got into Indian Information Service (IIS), she bettered her performance by securing 425th rank in 2022 and now she has got 721st rank, but has continued her stint in IIS.

Meghana told SOM, “For now I don’t have any plans about writing civil services exam again, but will think about it later. I was studying for 10 to 12 hours daily and for extra hours especially when the exam date was closer. Apart from acquiring knowledge, patience counts more along with confidence while preparing for UPSC. If one has these qualities, they can excel in any exam.”

Lekhan, who has finally succeeded in his fourth attempt, is a native of Tippalapura in Hunsur taluk of the district. He is a graduate in Civil Engineering from Sri Jayachamarajendra College of Engineering (SJCE). His father L. Mahadev is a High School Head Master and mother Shylaja is a housewife.

Lekhan said, “I didn’t attend any coaching institute but I prepared on my own, poring over the study materials prepared by myself. I had taken Kannada as optional. I believed in myself to taste the success, defying the myth that success is guaranteed only through honing the skills under the guidance of coaching institutes.”

Thejaswini, who was a techie in Bengaluru, quit her job in 2020, to pursue her UPSC dream. She holds a Master in Computer Applications (MCA) degree from National Institute of Engineering (NIE), Mysuru and her efforts to make it into civil services have borne fruits in her fourth attempt.

She is the daughter of late Nanjappa, who was a farmer and Sundaramma, a housewife, from Hunsur taluk in the district. She is married to Yogesh of Alanahalli, Hampapura hobli, H.D. Kote taluk in the district, where she is currently living.

Thejaswini said, “I underwent training for seven months from December 2020 in Bengaluru for the exam and later started preparing on my own. I had devoted 12 to 14 hours per day for studies and had taken Kannada literature as optional.”

One should have a zeal to achieve success and prepare for the exam. Besides, one should involve self with a sense of devotion and success is guaranteed on the back of efforts. One should not feel low and refrain from making repeat attempts even if they fail to achieve in first or second attempt. They should keep on attempting, said Thejaswini in her advice to other aspirants.