Thiruvananthapuram, March 6 As the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the results of the Civil Services Examination on Friday, candidates from Kerala who were on the merit list expressed their joy over their achievement.
The highest-ranked candidate from Kerala is R Sruthi, who secured the 18th position.
Sreeja J S of Thiruvananthapuram, who secured the 57th position, credited her parents for the achievement, saying they ensured she received an education despite facing several hardships.
Sreeja passed the UPSC examination in her first attempt.
"My duty was to study well, and it was the support of my parents that motivated me," Sreeja told the media.
Sreeja's father, who works as a labourer, was emotional.
"Her hard work has finally paid off," the family said.
Ajay Raj from Kozhikode, who is visually impaired, secured the 109th position.
Raj said it was his fifth attempt in the civil services examination, and that he had secured the 730th position in his previous attempt.
"I was supported by several people, including my family and friends at the civil services exam preparation centre," he told the media.
He said he prefers the IAS and hopes to secure it with the rank he achieved.
Siddharth M Joy, who secured the 271st position, said he had been preparing for the UPSC examination for the past four years.
"I had put in a lot of effort for this. It is definitely a happy moment after attempting it for the last four years," he said.
Other candidates from Kerala who made it to the list are H Aditya Narayanan (68), B Gopika (105), Vineeth Lohithakshan (129), V Sreelakshmi (133), Vishnupriya (149), V K Surya (162), S Divya (166), Nithin P (172), Pradeep S (218) and Anjana B (222).
The UPSC on Friday issued the merit list, in which 958 candidates have qualified and will receive appointments to various services.