Delhi's Tina Dabi tops 2015 UPSC exams in first attempt

Citing less number of working women in Haryana, Civil Services exam topperTina Dabi today said she wants to work in the neighbouring state to contribute in empowerment of fairer sex there.

"I always wanted to work in a challenging state. That is why I chose Haryana. We all know the sex ratio of girl and boy child is quiet less and that is why I would like to contribute my efforts for the empowerment of women there," she said.

22-year-old Tina, who has graduated from Lady Shri Ram College here, topped the 2015 Civil Services exam in her first attempt.

"My mother is my role model. She wanted me to study political science. I chose it and got through in the examination. It was one of my main subjects," she said, crediting her mother, a former Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer, who took voluntary retirement from the job.

Tina's father Jaswant is a serving IES officer. "It is the best day of my life," he said.

Tina was born in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. She did her schooling from Carmel Convent School there.

Elaborating more on her choice of Haryana as preferred state to work in, she said women should be given more chance to work in administration.

"Women empowerment is very important. I have seen how my mother has brought up me. It is because of her guidance and support that I could get top position in the test," she told PTI here at her home.

Tina is the eldest daughter of the family. Her younger sister Ria has passed Class XII this year.

"We are very proud of her. She topped in her graduation also," Ria said. Asked whether she would also like to follow her sister's footstep and join civil services, she said "it is too early to say. But as of now, we all are happy for her (Tina) success."

Tina's mother Himali said she provided all support to her daughter to prepare for the civil services exam. "It is not easy to prepare for this exam. It is very tough. Today's result is all because of her hard efforts," she said.

Her mother was also sporting a badge with the message "My daughter, my hero" on her dress. "My daughter is really my hero. There is No Alternative (TINA) for her," she quipped.

Besides Tina, railway service officer Athar Aamir Ul Shafi Khan from Jammu and Kashmir and Delhi-based Jasmeet Singh Sandhu, an Indian Revenue Service officer, have secured second and third rank respectively.

The results of civil services examination 2015 was declared today. A total of 1,078 candidates, including 499 in General category, 314 belonging to Other Backward Class, 176 from Scheduled Caste and 89 from Scheduled Tribe, have been recommended for appointment to various central government services, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said.

There are 172 other candidates in the waiting list.

The civil services examination is conducted by the UPSC annually in three stages-- preliminary,mains and interview-- to select candidates for the elite Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among others.