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UPSC Success Story: Ishwarya and Sushmita Ramanathan’s story demonstrates that financial hardship or natural disasters cannot stand in the way of a strong will.
In 2004, a family from Nagercoil, Tamil Nadu had everything—farmland, a home, and a normal life. Then one morning, the catastrophic tsunami of 2004 not only destroyed their home but also plunged them into a long struggle of poverty and uncertainty. The family had one thing left to pass on to their daughters: an unwavering belief in education. Despite losing everything in the 2004 tsunami, Sushmita and Ishwarya Ramanathan’s father refused to give up. Their father told them that while their property was lost, no one could take away the knowledge they had acquired. (Instagram/ishwarya.ramanathan_ias)
Drawing strength from their father’s sacrifice and their fierce struggle, the two sisters aimed to pass the toughest test in the country, the UPSC Civil Services Exam. Their father worked as a farm laborer to educate his children, believing that his daughters deserved a better life than their fate, which could only be achieved through higher education. This unwavering belief and family sacrifice became the foundation of the sisters’ success. He kept his daughters away from agricultural labor and encouraged them to study, trusting that even in difficult circumstances, goals can be achieved through perseverance. (Instagram/ishwarya.ramanathan_ias)
The younger sister, Ishwarya Ramanathan, passed the Civil Services Examination in 2018 with an All India Rank (AIR) of 628 and was selected for the Railway Accounts Service (RAS). However, her goal was to become an IAS officer, so she took the exam again. In her second attempt in 2019, Ishwarya secured the 47th rank, becoming an IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre at the age of just 22. Her elder sister, Sushmita Ramanathan, faced several failures but never gave up. In 2022, she became an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer in her sixth attempt, securing the 528th rank. (Instagram/ishwarya.ramanathan_ias)
IPS Sushmita Ramanathan is now serving as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Kakinada district in Andhra Pradesh cadre. (Instagram/sushmitha.ramanathan_ips)
IAS Ishwarya Ramanathan is presently working as Additional Collector (Development) in Tamil Nadu cadre in Thoothukudi district. (Instagram/ishwarya.ramanathan_ias)
