Odisha Shining: Two From State Among Top 10 Rank Holders In UPSC Exams

Odisha Shining: Two From State Among Top 10 Rank Holders In UPSC Exams

Two candidates from Odisha — Abhishek Saraf and Sanjita Mohapatra — have ranked among the top 10 in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, the results of which were declared on Tuesday,

While Abhishek ranked 8th in the all-India level, Sanjita came 10th.

Sanjita, a former employee of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL), was on cloud nine after finding out her result. “I was expecting that my name would be on the list, but I never expected to secure such a good rank. This makes me very happy,” shared Sanjita, who hails from Sundargarh. 

This alumnus of CET, Bhubaneswar said that it was her childhood dream to become an IAS officer. “When people used to ask my parents what I would become when I grew up, they would instantly say that I would become a Collector. So it was very much there in me since childhood to become an IAS officer,” she expressed.

“This is the first step towards the career that I have been dreaming to pursue. Lots of things need to be done and I hope I will be able to contribute towards society,” she added.

Giving credit for her success to her parents, school, husband, in-laws and friends, she shared, “They motivated me whenever I felt low. Their encouragement helped me to fulfil my dreams.”

In 2018, Sanjita had also cleared the OAS examination; however, she opted not to join the service and prepare for UPSC.

Speaking about her preparation for the UPSC exam, she said, “I never focused on the amount of time I devoted to my studies, but I rather made sure that I achieved my target according to my schedule. I needed to be satisfied that I had executed my plans for the day before I went to sleep.”

Apart from Abhishek and Sanjita, 13 other candidates from Odisha have also figured in the list of successful UPSC candidates. They are Anshuman Raj (rank 107), Anup Das (120), Nabal Kumar Jain (125), Rahul Goel (168), Kumar Biswaranjan (182), Shailaja Das (190), Vedbhushan (195) Rahul Mishra (202), Hema Nayak (225), Arushi Mishra (229), Asish Das (291), Ankit Shankar Mishra (294) and Sonali Mishra (300).

Following the results, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and other senior leaders congratulated all the successful candidates. 

PM Modi said an exciting and satisfying career in public service awaited them.

Congratulations to all the bright youngsters who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2019! An exciting and satisfying career of public service awaits you. My best wishes!

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 4, 2020

On his part, Naveen Patnaik congratulated the successful candidates and hoped that they would work with dedication to take welfare initiatives to the grassroots.

Congratulate all the successful candidates from #Odisha who have cleared #UPSC examination. May they work with dedication to take welfare initiatives to grassroots bringing visible changes in people’s lives. Wish them bright careers.

— Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) August 4, 2020

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his happiness on learning that Abhishek and Sanjita were among the top 10 in the country. 

Congratulations to all the candidates who have cleared the #UPSC Civil Services Examination 2019. Happy to learn that two of Odisha’s meritorious students, Abhishek Saraf and Sanjita Mohapatra have secured 8th and 10th rank respectively.

— Dharmendra Pradhan (@dpradhanbjp) August 4, 2020