Anu Kumari celebrates her success with family members on Friday. Express
After nine years of working in the private sector that was paying her Rs 20 lakh per annum, 31-year-old Anu Kumari of Haryana decided to prepare for the civil services examination one-and-a-half years ago. On Friday, she got to know her hard work has paid off as she secured All India Rank 2 after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) declared the results of 2017 examination that was conducted in June. Anu, a mother of a four-year-old boy, told The Indian Express she was not fully satisfied during her stint in the private sector and wanted a more meaningful job.
“I constantly felt like something was missing in my previous job, so I decided to take the plunge. It appeared that my entire life will pass me by running after money. I thought if something has to be done, then I have to be a part of the system. The private sector is always open to me. But I’m glad I wouldn’t have to return to it now,” said Anu, who belongs to Sonipat.
She is now settled in Delhi with her husband, Varun Dahiya, a businessman. She had been living at her parents’ home to prepare for the civil services since June 2016. Having done her schooling from Haryana, she did her physics (honours) from Hindu College in Delhi and MBA from Nagpur. Her father retired from the private sector and mother is a homemaker.
“My mom and my aunt were my support system. Mom is my role model and I credit all my success to my family,” Anu said.
Talking about Haryana’s dismal perception when it comes to safety of women and children, she said things were changing as more families were educating their daughters, but more needed to be done. “Khap panchayats have been detrimental to our growth, but I’m glad that the Supreme Court has ruled they cannot have a say in personal matters or when it comes to women empowerment,” she said.
Her message to female aspirants: just go out there and realise your dreams. “If women get empowered, at least 50 per cent of our population will get empowered,” she said.
Another Haryana native from Sirsa, 26-year-old Sachin Gupta, secured AIR 3. A BTech from Patiala, he is currently undergoing training as a civil servant, having cleared the exam last year too. Earlier, he was also working in the private sector and was placed with Maruti. However, after two years of work, he decided to quit and prepare for the civil services. He is the youngest of three brothers and three sisters. His family owns a wholesale store and he will be the first among them to land a prestigious government job.