KOZHIKODE: In three years since its opening, the Malabar centre of the Kerala State Civil Service Academy (KSCSA) here has proved its efficacy in grooming civil servants from the region. This year among the 28 candidates appeared from here, three cleared the interview. CSA special officer K. Saleem said it was only one last year. Swathi S. Kumar, Dr Sreedevi S., and Amith have successfully completed the three-tier exam procedure and could secure positions in Indian Revenue Services (IRS). Of the 28 candidates who appeared from Kozhikode, 11 cleared the prelims out of which only seven could attend the main examination.
The Kozhikode facility has been functioning since February 2014, training around 110 candidates annually. A new building of KSCSA is coming up at Thiruthiyad, Kozhikode, at the cost of Rs 150 lakh. It will feature a video conference hall, a facility currently not available, along with an upgraded library and a reference hall. A canteen is also to come up.
Kozhikode offers TDC (talent development course) for 8th, 9th and 10th standard students and FC (foundation course) for 11th and 12th. These courses are aimed at providing an early foundation for students aspiring to join civil services. The centre offers a plethora of facilities including study materials and qualified lecturers, both local and from the KSCSA in Thiruvananthapuram, has been provided to the candidates.
Toppers from Malabar opt for foreign service
The top two civil service examination rank-holders from Kerala J. Athul (rank: 13) from Payyannur and Ms Hamna Mariyam (rank: 28) from Kozhikode -- have opted for the Indian Foreign Service (IFS) as their choice in the civil service. Mr Athul, a B.Tech in mechanical engineering from CUSAT, said that he had expected to clear the examination but not to come at the top. “I seriously thought of a career in civil services after joining CUSAT,” he said.
“I got proper orientation on how to go about it in the college.” Though he got a placement after his course, he opted not to go for the job and decided to undergo coaching in Thiruvananthapuram, first at Kerala Civil Service Academy and later at two private centres, simultaneously. “If you take risk in life and work hard for fulfilling your dream, you will get the desired results,” he said. “My family supported when I told them I don’t want to go for the job but to pursue my dream.” Atul, who had chosen geography as his optional subject for the mains, had failed to make it in the first attempt.
Mr Athul is the son of M.V. Janardhanan, an ex-serviceman and J. Latha. Ms Mariyam is a teacher in the English department of Farook College. After her schooling at Presentation HSS, she did her BA and MA in English at Ramjas College under Delhi University. She joined Farook College after failing to clear the 2015 examination. “However, I started my preparation well before and got a bunch of friends who helped me by giving resources,” said Ms Mariyam. “Decisions at international level are what affecting the grass-root level of society,” she explained. Ms Mariyam is the daughter of Dr T.P. Ashraf, former executive director of Kerala Social Security Mission and Dr P.V. Jowhara P.V.
