Ex-Chief Secy inspired me for IAS: Tejasvi

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Kurukshetra, June 1

Tejasvi Rana, who secured the 12th position in the civil services exam, results of which were declared yesterday, credits Dharam Vir, guest teacher at IIT-Kanpur and former Haryana Chief Secretary, for her interest in the civil services.

Tejasvi told The Tribune here today that Dharam Vir was a regular resource person at the IIT to deliver lectures on public policy and governance. The 24-year-old is the eldest among three siblings.

“My father had tried to persuade me to prepare for the civil services, but I never took it seriously as a career option. It was during my BS (economics honours) course that my guest teacher, an IIT-Kanpur alumnus, sensitised me about the crucial role of governance in society. After that, I decided to appear in the UPSC exam,” she said.

Tejasvi had appeared in the UPSC mains in 2015, but was unsuccessful. “I was not fully prepared at that time. I geared up for the challenge and worked hard. A lot of good guidance material is available online. I did not feel the need for any other help. I opted to stay away socially and concentrated only on studies,” she said.

Her father Kuldeep Rana is a professor in the department of economics at Kurukshetra University. Her mother Sarita Rana is an associate professor in commerce at the University College.

The family received numerous phone calls from friends, relatives and journalists since last evening. As the news of her success spread this morning, neighbours, local legislator Subhash Sudha and municipality chairperson Uma Sudha visited the family carrying sweets and cakes.

Tejasvi showed the desire to teach deserving students after joining the civil services. Born with all facilities, she is sensitive about the challenges of underprivileged sections and keen to find solutions. If given a chance, she would like to work for urban housing solutions with a lot of field work.

She is fond of movies and eating food from different states. “Short movies had refreshed me during my preparation. It gave me the strength to work in the right direction for social issues,” she said.