Meet IAS Akhila BS, IITian who lost arm in accident, cracked UPSC with rank...

Akhila B S, who achieved the 760th rank in the 2022 civil services exam, did not allow her disability to stand in the way of her success. Akhila, the daughter of a former headmaster of a government high school, was tragically injured on September 11, 2000, and she lost her right arm below the shoulder in a bus accident. She talked to medical specialists in Germany. But her arms hadn't recovered yet she managed to crack the UPSC exam. Akhila healed from the accident and began performing her daily tasks using her left arm. She started writing with her other hand as well. 

She completed her board examinations with the best grade she could get. After receiving an Integrated MA from IIT Madras, she started her preparation for civil services. She tried three times before she was successful. On her first two tries, she cleared the entrance tests.

One of her teachers introduced her to the UPSC civil services examination at this time. She began preparing for the UPSC by gathering all the information and conducting her own research. She stated in an interview that she began her preparation in 2019 and that she took the UPSC in 2020, 2021, and 2022. She was successful in passing the prelims on all three occasions, but she failed the mains. In 2023, she finally succeeded in adding that achievement to her resume.

"I am happy and grateful. I felt reassured about my preparation. I started my preparation right after my graduation in 2019, I gave the examination in 2020, 2021, and 2022. All three times I cleared the prelims but two times I did not make it into the list. First time I am making the list. I followed every topper," she said.

She added, "The dream of IAS was given by my teacher who told me about the profession of the collector. I was fascinated and liked the idea of service, and thus started my preparations right after graduation." " I took coaching from one of the institutes in Bangalore for a year. Thereafter I came back to Kerala and took help from Thiruvananthapuram-based institute," she added.

Speaking on the challenges faced while preparing for the civil services examination, Akhila said that one has to experience several ups and downs along with tremendous hard work to prepare for the examination. "The challenge is that it was a very long duration and it requires a lot of hard work. Also, I found it very difficult to sit straight for a long time. To sit for three to four hours continuously in the examination became a herculean task for me," she said.

She also added that using her left hand and sitting continuously with back pain was a tough challenge for her during the preparations and examination. She said, "The problem for me was to write for three or four hours. I used to be tired and my body used to ache. For the main exams, I had to write continuously for three days. It was a challenge for me."

"My goal was to achieve IAS. I decided that I will prepare for the upcoming exam and till I get chosen for the service of my choice, I decided that I will keep on trying. I decided that I will put in maximum effort," she said.

Expressing gratitude to her parents and family for supporting her, she said, "I could not express the kind of support my family extended to me. I think this is a privilege. I received huge support not only from my immediate parents but also from my extended family." 

For the second consecutive year, women have secured four out of the first five ranks in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examinations, the results of which were announced on Tuesday. A total number of 933 candidates- 613 men and 320 women- were recommended by the Commission for appointment to various services, as per the official release by the department. 

(with inputs from ANI)