Two from TN among top 10 in UPSC exam

Chennai: Rajehwari Suve M and A R Rajah Mohaideen from Tamil Nadu secured all-India second and seventh ranks in the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC) civil services exams for 2025. The results were announced on Friday. Collectively, TN students performed the same as last year, with 56 students clearing the exam from the state, compared to 57 last year. After many years, TN candidates featured within the top 10.Rajeshwari Suve, who is currently the deputy collector in Dindigul district, said she did not expect the second rank. An engineering graduate from Vadipatti, Madurai, Rajeshwari attempted to crack the UPSC exam three times before she started focusing on the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC) exams. She said her work as deputy collector helped her approach the civil services exam and interview with practical insights rather than theoretical answers. Her father, Murugadoss, is in the electric appliances business, and her mother, Nagarani, works as an associate professor at a private college. "As an IAS officer, I want to improve the service delivery systems so govt programmes reach people more effectively," she said.
A R Rajah Mohaideen said the Covid pandemic made him think of becoming a civil servant. However, it was not easy, as it took three attempts to crack the preliminary exams. Though Rajah prepared for the exams from Delhi, he formed a Telegram group with aspirants from TN for joint preparation.A native of Chennai and the only child of his parents, Rajah hopes to secure the TN cadre and focus on universal healthcare. Another candidate, Sruthi R, secured the 18th all-India rank. Coaching centres said they expected more candidates from the state to clear the exam. "More than 150 candidates from TN appeared for the interview. We expected around 80 candidates to be selected this year. However, we got better results in terms of ranks," said S Boominathan, managing director of KingMakers IAS Academy.Of the selected candidates, more than 50 benefitted from the Naan Mudhalvan scheme. "While 39 candidates, including Rajeshwari Suve, were residential aspirants, 17, including Rajah Mohaideen, received fellowship," said T Sankara Saravanan, principal of All India Civil Service Coaching Centre in Raja Annamalaipuram. Candidates Arunkumar A (rank 585) and Dr Nishanth T (rank 821) wrote the exams in Tamil and cleared them.