Chennai: More aspirants, better preparation, and financial support from the state contributed to the best results for Tamil Nadu in the past five years. Fifty-seven candidates from the state cleared the Union Public Service Commission’s (UPSC) Civil Service Exams 2024, the results of which were declared on Tuesday. Last year, 45 candidates cleared the exam from the state.
As many as six candidates from Tamil Nadu featured among the top 100 ranks, with B Sivachandran of Dharmapuri securing the 23rd rank and emerging the state topper.
Gee Gee A S of Chennai, who secured the 25th all-India rank in her third attempt, plans to join the Indian Foreign Service. “I was inspired by my brother, who is a social worker. International relations is my area of interest. I want to be a diplomat and help Indian migrants,” she said. Gee Gee, who had got the 107th rank in her first attempt and joined IPS training, chose Tamil literature as an optional subject this time.
Pavithra P secured all-India 42nd rank. The daughter of a Tamil Nadu govt servant couple, she completed BTech (Information Technology) from College of Engineering, Guindy, in 2022. “This is my third attempt. In the first attempt, I couldn’t clear the prelims. During the second attempt, I went till the interview stage,” said Pavithra, who joined as an assistant general manager with the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (Sipcot) in Aug 2024. Commencing her preparation for the competitive exam from the final year of UG, she chose anthropology as an optional subject.
Coaching institutes said that of 140 students who qualified for the interview, 57 cleared it. “Better preparation is one of the main reasons for the improved performance by Tamil Nadu candidates post-Covid,” said S D Vaishnavi, director of Shankar IAS Academy. With improved confidence and communication skills, candidates are performing better in interviews, she added.
The number of candidates from Tamil Nadu who qualified for the main exam and interview is higher this year compared to last year.
“The number of aspirants for civil service exams also increased due to more awareness. Post-pandemic more candidates also feel that govt jobs provide more security compared to private sector jobs,” said S Boominathan, managing director of KingMakers IAS Academy.
T Sankara Saravanan, a civil services trainer, said, “Financial aid from the govt helped students crack the exam without any stress. Of 559 candidates who received 25,000 monthly aid for the main exam under the Naan Mudhalvan scheme, 134 were shortlisted for the interview, and 50 cleared the exam.” In the 2025-26 budget, the state govt also announced a 50,000 scholarship for students who are selected for the interview
(With inputs from Yogesh Kabirdoss)