NEW DELHI: The final result of Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2020 was declared on Friday with Shubham Kumar from Katihar, Bihar emerging as the topper and No 2 rank going to a woman, Jagrati Awasthi from Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh.
Of the 761 recommended by UPSC, which conducts the annual exam for selection to civil services including IAS and IPS, 216 or 28.3% are women. In fact, just like in 2019, 12 among the top 25 rank-holders are women. Among the successful women candidates is also Ria Dabi, sister of Tina Dabi, the topper of Civil Services Exam 2015.
The percentage of women recommended for the civil services this year is better than the last three years, having risen from 24.2% in 2017, 23.9% in 2018 and 23.7% in 2019.

The recommended candidates this year also include 25 persons with benchmark disability.
Delhi bagged 5 places in the Top 20 and Bihar three including the Number 1 rank. Three positions in the Top 20 have gone to candidates from Kerala.
Shubham Kumar, the No. 1 rank-holder, is an alumni of IIT, Powai. This was his third attempt, after having been selected to Indian Defence Accounts Service in the second attempt. Shubham told TOI that while he was expecting to figure in the merit list this year, he never imagined that he would ace the exam. Having sought Bihar cadre as his first preference, Shubham, a civil engineer, wants to work in areas like flood relief, food-processing, health and education and also improve the economic condition of the people of his state.
“I give credit to my family, especially my parents, and my close friends for encouraging me. It was my dream to be a civil servant right from my childhood. But it was when I was at IIT, Powai that I had a chance to be in leadership positions. That is when I realised how making a change can give you satisfaction, and I started seriously looking at a career in the Civil Services. I started preparing for the exam in my final year and would study 7-8 hours a day, on an average,” he told TOI.
Jagrati Awasthi, a B.Tech in electrical engineering from MANIT Bhopal, said it felt great to be the topper among woman and also No. 2 rank-holder. “If given equal opportunity, what is it that women cannot do? With the support of family and others, they can do wonders,” she said.
Jagrati, who worked for two years in BHEL before quitting her job to prepare for civil services, said she would like to work for rural development in Madhya Pradesh, which happens to be her first choice for cadre.
Jagrati said her parents delayed buying a TV for four years, as first her brother, a MBBS, was preparing for NEET, and then for her own preparation for the civil services entrance. “I thank my parents for believing in me, including even when I quit my job, and giving me a supportive environment,” she said.
Incidentally, Jagrati had failed to clear the prelims exam in her first attempt, this being her second.
An ecstatic Ria Dabi, who has a degree in political science from Delhi’s LSR College, cleared the civil services exam in her first attempt, much like her sister Tina Dabi who had aced the 2015 exam. She told TOI that while Tina did guide her during her preparation, she would give the credit for her success to her parents, especially her mother who had always wanted her daughters to join civil services.
“I chose civil services as it gives you an opportunity to connect with the people. One gets a sense of satisfaction by working for the welfare of citizens,” Ria said adding that she wants to serve in Rajasthan like her sister. “I would like to focus on women empowerment, health and education,” she said.
As many as 10,40,060 candidates applied for civil services exam 2020, of which 4,82,770 appeared. Only 10,564 qualified for appearance in the mains examination and 2053 underwent personality test based on which 761 candidates were recommended for appointment to various services.
Educational qualifications of top 25 successful candidates range from graduation in engineering; humanities; commerce and medical science from country’s premier institutions such as IIT, NIT, BITS, NSUT, DTU, JIPMER, St. Xavier’s College, University of Mumbai, Delhi University etc.
The top 25 had opted for subjects like anthropology, civil engineering, commerce & accountancy, economics, geography, mathematics, mechanical engineering, medical science, philosophy, physics, political science & international relations, public administration, and sociology as their optional choice in the Written (Main) Examination.