Madurai youth cracks UPSC in first attempt

Siddharth Palanichamy says he never stopped himself from watching a good movie or his favourite matches, playing tennis or checking social media during his one year of intense preparation for the civil services. This 23-year-old has cracked the UPSC and secured all-India rank 155 in his first attempt.

He says that holistic learning is key to ensuring that one provides a different perspective while attempting the exam.

An alumnus of the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchi, Mr. Palanichamy says that he began considering a career as a bureaucrat only in his final year of undergraduation in mechanical engineering. “I have regularly read the newspaper since I was in school and eventually began reading other materials, including by B.R. Ambedkar, Mahatma Gandhi and popular international leaders. These influenced me. As my social awareness grew, the [civil] services seemed like a good option. It also offered a stable career choice,” he said.

After graduating, Mr. Palanichamy took a year to prepare and went to Delhi. There he studied intently, listened to podcasts and even attributed his learning to the image sharing platforms — Instagram and Twitter.

Apart from books and class material, these platforms provided fresh perspective, especially while writing the Ethics paper. This was essential for clearing the Civil Services exam. Since the exam is dynamically changing every year, it helps to have a different take,” he said.

Mr. Palanichamy chose Political Science and International Relations as his optional subject. He says that he hopes to influence policy someday.