For Vishnu, serving the country is his mantra

KOCHI: It was while in Chicago for a job assignment that Vishnu V realized that he was not in any way contributing to the development of his country. On Friday, two years after he had decided to resign his lucrative job as an engineer and pursue civil service, the 26-year-old Kochiite stands tall, having bagged the 34th rank in the 2011 civil service exams.
“While in Chicago, I realized that what we see as India’s fast development is a misconception. Since my job was in no way making any difference, I understood that it was not what I really wanted in life and quit it as soon as I reached home. I found civil service a good option to serve the country, but it was just one among many other options. I am happy I did well in my first attempt. I would not have made a second attempt,” said Vishnu.
He is at present working with the Ministry of Rural Development on a fellowship. “I owe a lot to the faculty at Vaduthala Chinmaya Vidhyalaya and NIT Trichy. There were also friends and teachers in Thiruvananthapuram who supported and guided me,” he added.
Vishnu, who took geography and public administration as optional subjects, found the exam with its revised syllabus and pattern, querying more on candidates’ perspectives and opinions rather than knowledge. He prepared for his exams while teaching civil service aspirants at a few institutes in Thiruvananthapuram.
His primary choice was IAS; IFS came second.