Not Tina Dabi, Ria Dabi! Meet sisters who struggled with poverty, lost their home in Tsunami, cracked UPSC exam, became IAS, IPS Officers, hail from…, they are…
In 2004, a family had it all – farmland, a home, and a straightforward, stable existence. Then one morning, the waves of the sea washed it all away. This is the story of a farming family in Tamil Nadu. The 2004 tsunami destroyed their home and set them on a long path of poverty and uncertainty.
Who are the sisters who turned tragedy into triumph and cracked UPSC?
The only thing the family could now offer their daughters, Sushmitha Ramanathan and Ishwarya Ramanathan, was unwavering faith in education. The farmer father expressed it time and time again – you may have lost your land and property, but no one can take away what you have learned in your mind.
Inspired by their father’s sacrifices and experiences, the two sisters aspired to take on India’s most difficult exam, the UPSC Civil Services Examination. It was not a dream, but a commitment to bring back the lost honor of the family and show people that poverty was not an indication of their future.
What challenges did they face growing up in poverty?
Becoming government officers, the sisters, Sushmitha Ramanathan and Ishwarya, lifted themselves out of the darkness of poverty. Speaking of her family, Ishwarya’s father, R. Ramanathan, worked as a cashew farmer. Meanwhile, her mother, who married young and later obtained a government position, encouraged Ishwarya in her ambition to become a collector.
What ranks or positions did they achieve in the UPSC exams?
It began when Ishwarya obtained her engineering degree from Anna University in Chennai in 2017. While studying at university, she started preparing for the UPSC exam. In her first attempt, she obtained an All India Rank (AIR) of 630 and was allocated to the Railway Accounts Service. She obtained 779 marks in the written examination and 160 marks in the personality test. In total, she scored 939 in the Civil Services (MAIN) Examination, 2018.
Nevertheless, her passion for becoming an IAS officer motivated her to try the exam again. In 2019, Ishwarya sat for the second time and passed the UPSC exam. She achieved the All India Rank (AIR) 47 and became an IAS Officer. She scored 827 marks in the written examination and 187 marks in the personality examination. In total, she achieved 1014 marks in the Civil Services (MAIN) Examination, 2019.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Ishwarya obtained her engineering degree from Anna University in Chennai in 2017.
- While studying at university, she started preparing for the UPSC exam.
- In total, she achieved 1014 marks in the Civil Services (MAIN) Examination, 2019.
- IPS Sushmita Ramanathan is the sibling of IAS Ishwarya Ramanathan.
Ishwarya became one of India’s youngest IAS officers at just 24 years old. She is currently serving as the Additional Collector Development in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. IPS Sushmita Ramanathan is the sibling of IAS Ishwarya Ramanathan. Sushmita has taken the civil services examination five times. But with her hard work and perseverance, she was able to crack the UPSC CSE in her sixth attempt in 2022 at AIR 528 and became an IPS officer of the Andhra Pradesh cadre. Presently, she is posted as the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the southern state’s Kakinada district. She scored 753 marks in the written examination, and 193 marks in the personality test. Overall, she scored 528 marks in the Civil Services (MAIN) Examination, 2022.
News