I will work for the people, says Nandini: All about the 2016 UPSC topper

Nadini said that one should be confident about oneself and the society should equally support them

Nandini K R, a trainee Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer, from Karnataka, has topped the Civil Services Examination, the results of which were declared on Wednesday by public service recruiter Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). This is the third time in a row where a woman candidate has topped the examination. 

Here’s all you need to know about the 2016 UPSC topper:

• Hailing from Kembodi village in Kolar district, about 100km from Bengaluru, Nandini is the eldest of the two children of her parents — 56-year-old Ramesh K V and 54-year-old Vimala K V.

• She is currently completing her training for IRS at the National Academy of Customs, Excise and Narcotics in Faridabad.

• The topper was earlier a civil engineering graduate from MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology in Bengaluru. After clearing her examination in 2014, Nandini was selected for IRS.

• After graduation, though Nandini worked in the state public works department as an assistant engineer for two-three years, she always aspired to become an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and work in the areas of women, empowerment and education. 

• “I want to join IAS and not IFS (Indian Foreign Service), as I want to be in India and serve the people. Though challenging, I will get an opportunity to learn and work for the people,” Nandini told ANI.

• Nandini belongs to the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

• After being diagnosed with dengue ahead of her third attempt in the preliminary exams, Nandini’s dreams shimmered when she could not prepare up to the mark. 

• Even though Nandini had undergone training for IRS and secured the first position, she sat again for the civil services examination in 2016.

• Nandini studied in Kannada medium from the government-aided Thimmaiah Vidyalaya at Kolar and Pre-University Course from Alva's College at Moodabidri in Dakshina Kannada district.

• Nandini likes to spend her time reading and playing volleyball.

As a message to the aspiring candidates, Nandini said that one should be confident about oneself and the society should equally support them.

This is the third time in a row that a woman has topped this examination. In 2015 it was Ira Singhal, then Tina Dhabi last year and now Nandini KR.

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

As many as 1,099 candidates have been recommended for various government services. There are 220 other candidates in the waiting list.