BENGALURU: Akshay Simha, a 26-year-old Bengalurean, is the Karnataka topper, securing 77th UPSC rank in the civil services exam results announced on Friday evening.
Akshay did his pre-university in Jain College, VV Puram before heading for undergraduate studies at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Kolkata. He returned to Bengaluru to prepare for the civil services.
“My uncle is a retired IAS officer and was my inspiration. He guided me to crack the test,” said Akshay, who said he’d prefer working for the Indian Foreign Service.
Despite his science background, Akshay opted for Kannada literature as optional subject. “Usually students pursuing civil services tend to read a lot of books and take on a huge burden. But I was focused. I religiously did all the test series offered by my coaching institute. I’ve been practising for two years. I did not succeed at the first attempt, but this time I did,” he said.
He added: “The interview was cordial. There was no hurry, no element of fear. The board made me calm and composed. We were talking more on the future of the country.” Asked why he’d choose IFS over IAS, he quipped: “Why IAS!” He added that his interest lay in foreign diplomacy.
‘ This time, the competition was tough from other states. Those students put in a huge effort and it paid off,” said Vinay Kumar GB, founder and CEO, Insights on India, Bangalore, where Akshay was a student. Other Karnataka students among the Top 200 are Yatish R (115th rank), KM Priyanka (121st rank) and Nischay Prasad M (130th rank).
