Annies Kanmani Joy from Kerala has scripted a new chapter in the
history of the prestigious
All India Civil Service Examination. She is the first nurse ever
to qualify for the service. In the result declared on Friday, she
secured 65th rank.
Since there are over 85 vacancies in general
quota in the glamorous Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Annies
is confident of getting a posting in IAS.
Interestingly, Annies, 26, is already in Civil Service. She
appeared for the 2010's exam and finished 580th position and was
selected for the Indian Civil Accounts Service (ICAS). Presently she
is undergoing ICAS training in Faridabad, Haryana.
Since her destination was IAS, she decided to try her luck once
more and came out with flying colours this time.
What adds more sheen to her victory is that she is from a
farmer's family in a remote Pampakuda village in Ernakulam district,
unlike majority of other winners who are from cities and big towns
with family background of high academic records.
Her father Joy is a farmer and mother Leela is a home maker. Her
only sister Elsa Aswathy Joy is doing her MSc nursing in Belgaum
"My father's decades old dream has come true," she told Mail
Today over phone from Faridabad.
Joy used to tell his daughter during her school days that she
should appear for the "IAS exam" and those who won it would become
big government officers. "But then I had no idea about it. I began
thinking seriously about it during my one year internship in 2009
after doing BSc nursing at Thiruvananthapuram Medical College. A
close relative of mine was then doing his LLB in the city. He really
motivated me. Finally after my nursing course, I decided to take up
the challenge."
But there was an initial confusion that whether a students who
did a degree course in nursing is eligible to appear for the exam.
"Finally, it was cleared. I was told that any graduate from a
recognized Indian university can appear for the exam."
Annies took Malayalam Literature and Psychology as her optional
subjects for the Civil Service exam. She joined at Kerala Civil
Service Academy in Thiruvananthapuram for overall coaching and
brushed up her knowledge in Malayalam literature at the language
institute of St. Thomas College in Palai, a small town near Kottayam.
At the last leg of her preparations, she moved to Delhi and went for
coaching at an institute there.
"In all, I did one year preparation before making the first
attempt in 2010. But in second attempt, I have only revised what I
had studied earlier," she said.
Annies, however, believes that coaching was not alone helped her
to win the exam. She says that the academic atmosphere at Fathima
Matha school near her village and Mount Carmen school in Kottayam
where she did her secondary and higher secondary courses, and
nursing school and functioning of the medical college inculcated
courage to face the exam.
Her village is being decked up to accord a rousing reception to
the first IAS winner from the region when she arrives on May 9 to
share the joy with here dear and near ones.
