PNS|New Delhi
Banaras Hindu University’s postgraduate Shakti Dubey and Haryana’s Harshita Goyal have bagged the first and second rank, respectively, in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2024, with three women, including the topper, securing positions in the top four, according to the results announced on Tuesday.
Shah Margi Chirag is the third woman in the top four. She earned the fourth rank in the coveted exam. Maharashtra’s Dongre Archit Parag achieved the third position, with Delhi’s Aakash Garg finishing fifth.
Women bagged the top four ranks in the civil services examination 2022, too. As many as 1,009 candidates have cleared the civil services examination this year, the results of which were declared on Tuesday.
Topper Dubey said she used to study every day to prepare for the coveted examination.
There was never a day when I did not study. There may be days when I have studied for four to five hours. But there was never a day when I did not study at all,” she said. Twenty-eight-year-old Dubey said that there was a time that made her think not to prepare for the exam anymore, but because of her parents’ continuous encouragement, she took the test. “I took the interview last year, too. But, I could not find my name in the final results. At that time, I realised that I won’t be able to do more than this. This is it! But for one last time, I mustered courage because of my parents encouragement and gave the 2024 prelims. With the grace of god, I made it,” she said. It was her fifth attempt at the examination. Asked about how she used to motivate herself, Dubey said she used to write. “I have a hobby to write. Also, I used to speak to my parents. After talking to them…I felt motivated and confident,” said Dubey, who holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from the University of Allahabad.
Second rank holder Goyal did her post-graduation in chartered accountancy. She also has a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda. Goyal (24) qualified the exam with political science and international relations as her optional subjects in her third attempt. Parag, who secured the third rank, is a Bachelor of Technology graduate in electrical and electronics engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology (VIT), Tamil Nadu.
A native of Pune, 26-year-old Parag cleared the exam on his third attempt.
