The top three rank holders -- Singh, Jatin Kishore and Verma -- are serving officers. Singh is a resident of Haryana, while Kishore hails from Delhi and Verma is from Uttar Pradesh.

Among those who have qualified, at least 12 are from Jammu and Kashmir. Six of these candidates hail from Kashmir, including Nadia Beigh from remote Kupwara district who secured 350th rank.

Hardwork, consistency and support of family were key to their success, many of the candidates said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders congratulated the successful candidates. A total of 829 candidates have been recommended for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among other civil services, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said in a statement, announcing the results of the civil services examination 2019.

“I did not expect that I would get first rank. It is like a dream come true. It is a pleasant surprise for me. I always wanted to be an IAS officer. I would like to work for the deprived sections of society,” Singh, 29, said.