New Delhi: The Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) stands as one of the most prestigious yet challenging tests in the nation. Each year, numerous candidates strive to succeed in these exams, but not all emerge victorious. Among them are individuals who triumph over adverse circumstances, serving as a beacon of inspiration for others.
Today, we delve into the success story of S Aswathy. Hailing from Thiruvananthapuram, she is the daughter of a construction labourer and achieved the remarkable rank of 481st in the UPSC 2020 Civil Services Examination. Aswathy’s journey underscores the transformative power of hard work and dedication.
From the early days of Class VIII, Aswathy harboured the dream of becoming an IAS officer. Despite this aspiration, she opted for engineering and secured admission to the Government Barton Hill Engineering College in Thiruvananthapuram. After landing a position at TCS Kochi during her final year, she found herself drawn to the UPSC exams.
Balancing work and study, Aswathy decided to resign from her lucrative IT job in 2017 to commit full-time to civil services preparation. She enrolled at the Kerala State Civil Services Academy and various private academies in Thiruvananthapuram.
Speaking to news agency ANI, Aswathy revealed that the 2020 attempt was her fourth. Despite facing initial failures in the preliminary exams during the first three attempts, she remained undeterred and approached her fourth attempt with heightened determination.
Reflecting on her strategy, Aswathy shared, “To crack this examination, I focused on writing practice and maximum content improvisation, so that I could present my content well in the papers.”
Aswathy’s success has brought immense pride and joy to her father, Prem Kumar, who expressed, “I am very happy. Under difficult circumstances, she cleared the civil service exam. I am proud of her. She was excellent in her studies.” Her mother, Sreelatha P, is a housewife, and her younger brother is employed in an IT firm.