Watching mom roll beedis inspired UPSC rank holder

Madurai: At just 25 years of age, grit and perseverance has borne fruit for S Inba, daughter of a beedi rolling worker who secured the 851st All India Rank in UPSC Civil Services (Mains) exam, the results of which were announced recently. Watching her mother struggle to eke out a living, the Sengottai native dreamt of becoming an IAS officer to uplift her family.

Now, the dream is finally within her grasp.

Inba says she has been preparing for Civil Services exam ever since she completed BE Computer Science degree at Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT) in 2020. “Since my father Srinivasan is also a daily wager, our family’s financial condition was not good. I was also hesitant whether I should get a job to support the family. My brother Balamurali was my biggest motivator to write UPSC exam,” she told TOI. Balamurali has completed diploma and works at a gas company in Saudi Arabia.

“He did not have the opportunity to pursue higher studies properly. So he wanted me to study as much as I wanted to. It made me more determined to go for Civil Services exam. He bore most of my expenses,” said Inba. Covid-19 reduced her classes at Shankar IAS Academy in Chennai to online. The government public library in Sengottai became a second home for the young woman for two and a half years.

Inba is grateful to librarian Ramasamy who helped her access books, journals and publications. “My first two attempts in UPSC Civil Services (Prelims) ended in failure. In December 2022, I cleared the entrance exam and joined the free civil services residential coaching in Chennai,” she said. After clearing UPSC Prelims in 2023, she received Rs 25,000 aid under Naan Mudhalvan scheme. The monthly assistance of Rs 7,500 under the scheme helped her stay in Chennai for preparation.

Her family was overjoyed when she managed to clear UPSC Mains and secure All India Rank of 851. “Since this rank will likely allow me to go for only IPS or IRS, I will attempt UPSC Mains exam again to secure a better rank to become an IAS officer to serve the society,” added the young woman.

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