Rajeswari Suve, UPSC CSE All India Rank 2
Q. Did you expect this [rank]?
No sir, not probably. I didn't expect such rank.
Q. This is your fifth attempt, and what did it take to become number two all India?
Sir, as you said, it is my fifth attempt. So it took much more time for me to be here. And the key here is the dedication, support from the family, and proper guidance, which have motivated me to pursue my civil services journey. These three are the key things, and other than that, self-confidence that boosts us every day to pursue this career is most important.
Q. What's that passion in you that somehow you're determined to become an IAS officer?
Now I am currently working as a Deputy Collector Trainee, and I was selected in Group 1 TNPSC in 2024. So getting into a government service, that as Deputy Collector in a Group 1 service, in itself motivated me more because I have seen many people how the benefits enter into their life that changes many people. So my Collector, Mr. Saranas, who is the District Collector of Dindigul, has involved me in many activities that gave me a good exposure in my district, and that training experience in itself became a motivation to me to pursue this UPSC career further.
Q. The motivation is that you could bring about changes for many underprivileged people. Is that the one?
Yes sir. True. Because when we provide a service, that changes the lives of millions of the people out there, that I have seen and experienced very personally in my district training.
Q. What kind of coaching did you take, sir?
I was initially enrolled in 2018 in a private institute, and after it, I couldn't pursue my civil services examination after two attempts. Then I took my Group 1 experiences and coaching from Apollo Institute that is present here. There I got the idea of writing mains that became a positive trait to me in later times also, which has helped to me in UPSC Mains also. And other than that, I was the beneficiary of Naan Mudhalvan here, that is the state government's initiative to boost the civil service aspirants from Tamil Nadu. They give support in every stage of the UPSC examination, that is Prelims, Mains, and Interview. Financial support plus faculty and academic support is also given here, so I was the beneficiary of Naan Mudhalvan scheme of Tamil Nadu.
Q. Tamil Nadu many decades ago had the majority number of civil service officers, but now that interest among the younger generation to pursue civil services is vanishing or on the decline. Why do you think so?
So it is true that many prominent, eminent IAS officers and All India social services officers are from Tamil Nadu since more than five decades. And now the passion is also continuing. I don't think that it is vanishing or diminished. Still many aspirants, even my friends, I have seen many of them are serious aspirants pursuing for the civil services examination. So I don't think it is getting vanished. When we channelize our effort, emerge in a proper way, better results will be produced, sir.
Q. Right. And for aspirants, young aspirants who look up to you now as an inspiration, what kind of message, what kind of tips would you give for preparation?
My first advice or suggestion is that please do not get diverted in many sources that are available in market or online. Stick to one source or two sources and self-analyze ourselves. We have to do SWOT analysis of ourselves when we are doing a test. May it be a small test, we have to have some feedback mechanism for it so that we can correct ourselves and represent ourselves in a better way in the next exam. And in every stage, we have to be having a self-evaluation and outsider evaluation that outsider evaluation must be a valid, authoritative one, that must be a good one.
Q. Anything on time management for aspirants?
Yeah. We have to plan or schedule the previous day itself for a better day in our schedule of the preparation. That is, the schedule must be very customized for every stage of the preparation. If it is Prelims and the Prelims are nearing, we have to give much time to GS and regular test practices are needed. When it comes to Mains, we have to part the day for optional subject and the other part for GS and Essay. Weekly one essay is better for Mains writing also. And when it comes to Interview, we have to be more focused on current affairs. Referring two, three magazines a day will be very helpful in our preparation. So the preparation in civil services must be very customized to every stage of the preparation, that is the thing.
Q. Did you watch films? Did you visit friends? Or is it purely studies and how many hours every day?
I do have many friends. My friends and my group batchmates, my friends many of them have supported me in a lot of the ways, say Harish, Vinod, Pavitra, Indujan, Nandini. I can list any number of friends in my list now. And my Group 1 batchmates were celebrating this rank as their own now. So I do have many friends, I do visit them, I spend some time in movies. I'm not that much interested only in spare time. Still, these friends, people I have, they are, they formed the supportive mechanism and they supported me to pursue this service, this civil service field very well, I think, sir.
Q. Any particular department or field you would like to join now?
Civil services on the whole is very beautiful, and after getting into service, I realized that no particular department is the key for the development of a nation or a state. So wherever I am placed, whatever post I hold, I will give my best of the performance.
