HARITHA V. KUMAR-
THE TOPPER OF THE 2013 CIVIL SERVICE EXAMINATION
Haritha
V. Kumar’s journey to success began when her parents encouraged her to dream
and aim high. Her father, R. Vijayakumar, used to tell her to become a
‘collector’. “Although I had no clue what that involved, I remember saying that
my ambition was to become a collector when Sister Jasmine, my teacher in class
one, wanted us to tell her what we wanted to do in life,” recalls a smiling
Haritha.All the while during a conversation with Haritha, visitors and
relatives keep dropping in to congratulate her. Ever since it was announced
that 27-year-old Haritha had topped the 2012 rank list of the civil services
examination, all roads seem to lead to her house. A Malayali had secured the
first rank after 22 years!Guests keep streaming into the modest house in a
bylane at Thycaud. An amused policeman perched on a bike near the house assures
visitors that this is indeed Haritha V. Kumar’s residence while a bored
photographer waits outside the door to snap photos of VIPs who come visiting.
Haritha’s twin brothers Sadheerth and Sadharsh, both engineers, entertain the
guests when their elder sister is meeting mediapersons and guests. Phones ring
non-stop as calls keep pouring in to seek appointments for interviews and
felicitations. Vijayakumar, Haritha’s father, checks a diary to squeeze in time
for yet another interview or a meeting.
A box
of sweets has a permanent place on the table while a plate of sweets is passed
around by relatives and friends who are still celebrating her achievement. When
her mother C.S. Chitra, rushes inside for a quick breakfast before the next
photo shoot and interview, Haritha finds time to sit down and talk about her
journey to success.“I could not believe it myself,” says a happy Haritha who
reached home on Sunday. A probationary officer of the Indian Revenue Service,
she was undergoing training at the National Academy for Customs, Excise and
Narcotics in Faridabad when her father Vijayakumar insisted that she be there
to greet visitors who were thronging the house to congratulate her.An engineer,
Harita says she owes her success to the encouragement of her parents and
family. A former student of St. Theresa’s Convent School and Government Girls
Higher Secondary School in Neyyattinkara, Haritha remembers how her father used
to bring her every morning to Thiruvananthapuram to attend coaching classes
while she was doing her Plus Two. While Haritha was still a student of
Electronics and Communication at the Government Engineering College, Barton
Hill, her father shifted to Thiruvananthapuram to make sure that his children
got the best of education.
It was
Chitra who encouraged her daughter to think of a career in the Civil Services.
Following her graduation, Haritha decided to prepare for the Civil Services
examinations and chose Economics and Malayalam as her subjects for the mains.
“No matter what kind of administrative services you take up, an understanding
of Economics is essential. So I thought I might as well take that as one of my
subjects for the examination,” says Haritha.Her classmates were research
scholars and post-graduate students of Economics who were familiar with terms
and theories of the subject. “But Narayanan Sir, whom I see as my mentor,
always motivated me. He assured me that I would be able to do it,” she says.
And she proved him right by cracking the examination in the second chance when
she got selected to the Indian Revenue Service. But her goal was the Indian
Administrative Service because “I want to be directly involved in making a
difference to the lives of people in whatever small way I can,” she explains.And
what does she feel are Kerala’s problems? “Each region has its specific
problems and one can’t generalise. In the capital city, it is certainly garbage
disposal that has become an issue. In Kasaragod, it would be problems caused by
the use of Endosulfan,” she says.
Now
that she is on the cusp of a career in the Indian Administrative Service, what
kind of a Collector would she want to be? “One who is accessible to the
people,” says Haritha who adds that she sees herself as an idealist who is also
pragmatic.
No
bookworm, Haritha has learnt Carnatic music and Bharatanatyam and Mohiniyattam.She
is tuned in to old Malayalam film songs too.An avid fan of Malayalam cinema,
her favourite films are the kind of movies made by M.T. Vasudevan
Nair-Hariharan team. Some of her favourite authors are M. T. Vasudevan Nair,
Indu Menon. Her favourite poet is Vylloppilly.She won the top place in her
fourth and last attempt.Haritha has inspired Sadharsh who is preparing for the
civil services examination.Her school teachers at St. Theresa’s Convent School
in Neyyattinkara remember Haritha as a student with a pleasant disposition who
was never bored in class. Says Haziel Leo, who taught Haritha Social Studies in
Classes nine and ten: “Hard working and bright, Haritha is the kind of student
every teacher dreams about. We are extremely proud of her success.”S.
Narayanan, former head of the Department of Economics, Government College for
Women, has only words of praise for his student. “Although she was completely
new to Economics, within two years she managed to beat even research students.
It is her perseverance and dedication that have taken her to the top.”
SUCCESS MANTRA
One
should not get disheartened and must work with dedication and determination.Instead
of studying for a certain number of hours, I divided the syllabus into parts
and decided how much I would cover each day.For the interview, discussions with
my friends in the National Academy for Customs, Excise and Narcotics helped a
great deal.It is imperative to have a lot of writing practice before attempting
the mains.Finally, one should not allow anything to be a road block that
prevents you from reaching your goal. One has to overcome such hurdles and for
that a family’s support is crucial.
Prof. John Kurakar
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