Success Story of Charusree Thiagarajan IAS, AIR-6, 2014

Charusree Thiagarajan emerged the topper by securing All India Rank sixth among thousands of aspirants who prepared for the Civil Services Exam. When the results were declared she was undergoing training to join the Indian Forest Service at Dehradun.

“I would like to be engaged in policy formulation (or) policy-making positions and be able to bring about changes in the lives of the people, rather than spending time in administrative and implementing activities,” Charusree Thiagarajan said.

Family Background

Charusree Thiagarajan comes from the industrial city of Coimbatore, 650 km south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She is daughter of Thiagarajan, a retired executive engineer, in the state agriculture department. Her mother is a housemaker.

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Educational Background of Charusree Thiagarajan

Charusree Thiagarajan completed her schooling in Coimbatore. After completing her schooling Charusree decided to shift to Chennai for graduation. Charusree Thiagarajan holds a graduate degree in Electronics and Communications and is an alumna of College of Engineering Guindy, Anna University. After completing her graduation she used to work with Qualcomm.

Charusree Thiagarajan says, “I joined the College of Engineering Guindy because Chennai has the facilities to prepare for the Civil Services. I graduated in 2012, and joined Qualcomm, but continued to prepare for the Civil Services Exams. It was my childhood dream to become an IAS officer, which has become a reality this year and I would love to join her home state cadre Tamil Nadu.”

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Optional Paper

Charusree Thiagarajan opted for Geography as her optional subject in Civil Services Exam. She studied Geography in Shankar IAS Academy and T.I.M.E in Chennai. “I worked hard for 6 to 7 hours every day. I read only The Hindu and NCERT textbooks for general studies,” said Charusree Thiagarajan, who in her first attempt got selected for Indian Revenue Service (customs) opted to join Indian Forest Service (IFS) in Dehradun.

Attempts

IRS official Charusree Thiagarajan got into the IAS in her second attempt in the Civil Services Examination but she was surprised when she learnt that she had been ranked sixth in the list successful candidates. She had worked very hard to get into the Indian Administrative Service because it gives a chance to a person to do something for the people and the country. Last year too, Charusree Thiagarajan made the list of successful candidates but her rank was very low. She had to settle for the Indian Revenue Service and was posted in Dehradun.

“Civil services, and in particular the IAS, give a person a chance to be in the thick of things and to be able to be an agent of change,” Charusree Thiagarajan said, adding she is keen to work in the education sector to bring about improvement and reforms, particularly in villages.

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Women in Tamil Nadu

Charusree Thiagarajan said few candidates from Tamil Nadu were making it to the Civil Services, because there is a lack of exposure and also a preference for other professions could be among the reasons for this trend. As women possibly prefer cosy jobs in the IT or software sector especially in Tamil Nadu, and do not venture into the “rough and tumble of administrative work”. But the trick to write the Civil Services Examination is hard work, smart work and perseverance. To bring in reforms in the education system Charusree Thiagarajan wanted to become an IAS officer in the Tamil Nadu cadre.

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