Senior IAS officers, inspiration for UPSC toppers B. Aravind Kumar

The toppers from Tamil Nadu in UPSC 2009-2010 drew inspiration from senior IAS officers in the State cadre.

R. Lalitha, who stood 12th in the all-India ranking list, as a final year civil engineering student at Periyar Maniammai University in Thanjavur was impressed by the way Tiruchi Collector Ashish Vachhani transformed Thiruvalarchipatti village in Tiruverumbur taluk within a few months.

Lalitha believed she could do a lot for people as a bureaucrat and gave up the option of pursuing higher education abroad to set her sights on becoming a civil servant.

Working as an engineer at the Airports Authority of India in Chennai, Lalitha cleared UPSC in 2007 but was ranked 543. She gave up the job to devote herself preparing for the civil services.

“There are a lot of government schemes. Implementation is the problem. As a bureaucrat, I will do my best to make a difference to the lives of people,'' she says with confidence.

The all-India rank 15 has come as a wedding gift for M. Kanagavalli. The 30-year old, who works as assistant director at the Rural Development Department in Tiruchi, came out with flying colours in her final attempt and fourth interview in the UPSC.

Working in the State government in various posts at the Secretariat, Commercial Taxes and Rural Development departments for the past four years, she had been preparing on her own. The mock interview at the Anna Institute of Management helped her.

“IAS officers P.W.C. Davidar and T. Udayachandran asked me to face the interview as an officer and answer with authentic data. Fortunately, the interview panel asked me questions mainly on rural and social schemes in Tamil Nadu.”

“I am an officer now and the confidence level is high. I want to join IAS. I will be happy if I get the home cadre. My second option is Karnataka,” says Kanagavalli, who is getting married to Thanesh, an industrialist based in Bangalore. She attributes her success to her sister Jhansi.

K. Sankar Ganesh has cleared the civil services with a national rank of 483 and can now be an IRS officer. He wants to fulfil the dream of his two brothers, who dropped out of school after Class VIII.

Born as the fourth child of M. Karuppiah, a farmer, and P. Mariammal, an anganwadi worker, Ganesh, who holds a diploma in textile technology, worked in Madurai and Tirupur. While at work, he pursued B.A in Economics through distance education at Madurai Kamaraj University and was ranked first in the university.

Studying at the All India Civil Services Coaching Centre at Anna Nagar and Ganesh IAS Academy, the 28-year old has cleared the exam in his fifth attempt with economics and Tamil literature as electives.

“I will write the exam next year. I want to be an IAS officer,” he avers.

As many as 43 candidates who trained at the Manidhaneyam free IAS coaching centre have cleared UPSC 2009-10. R. Shanmugapriya has secured an all India rank of 36 in her maiden attempt itself, states a release. Of the 118 students trained by government-run All India Civil Services Coaching Centre at Anna Nagar, 49 have cleared the exam, officials say.

Keywords: higher education, UPSC

Security official: US missiles kill 14 in Pakistan

US drone aircraft on Tuesday fired around 18 missiles into Pakistan’s tribal region near the Afghan border, killing at least 14 people, a security official said.

The strikes hit the Datta Khel area of the North Waziristan tribal district, a known stronghold of Taliban and al—Qaeda militants.

“Five to six drones fired 18 missiles at two houses and some vehicles parked there,” an intelligence official said. “Fourteen people are killed and half a dozen more injured.” The official said the death toll might rise as more people were thought to be buried under the rubble. The victims’ identities were not immediately known.

A second intelligence official confirmed the attack but said the drones targeted militant hideouts located on a hill.

North Waziristan, one of the seven districts in Pakistan’s lawless tribal region, is used as a base by many al—Qaeda and Taliban militants, who run training camps and conduct regular cross—border raids on NATO troop in Afghanistan almost without hindrance.

Unlike other tribal districts, North Waziristan has escaped Pakistan’s recent assault on Islamist insurgents, mainly because the militants there have a peace deal with the government under which they avoid attacking official targets.

But the pressure is mounting on Pakistan for an all—out offensive in the district, since Faisal Shahzad, a US citizen of Pakistani origin, admitted he received training in the region for last week’s attempted bombing in New York.

The US Central Intelligence Agency is conducting a covert drone bombing campaign against the militants and their hideouts in the region. More than 900 people, most of them militants but also many civilians, have died in over 100 airstrikes since August 2008.

Pakistan officially criticizes the drone attacks as a violation of national sovereignty that fuels public resentment. But many analysts say the country’s intelligence agencies secretly cooperate with the attacks by giving information about possible targets.

Keywords: Drone attacks,

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Bharat Ratna for Sachin:Cong says govt keeps all facts in mind

New Delhi, Mar 3 (PTI) With BJP demanding a Bharat Ratna for Sachin Tendulkar for his cricketing feats, Congress today said that in giving the Padma awards or the Bharat Ratna, government keeps all facts in mind and takes an appropriate decision.

"Bharat Ratna or Padma awards are given by the government after taking in view all facts at an appropriate time," party spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters here.

He, however, said that not only India but the entire world respects the way Tendulkar has played over the years and referred to the first double century in a One-Day International scored by the Indian cricketer recently against South Africa.