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Two sisters from a farmer’s family in Tamil Nadu overcame hardships to become IAS and IPS officers through perseverance and dedication.
Sushmitha Ramanathan and Ishwarya Ramanathan (Image: Instragram)
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exam is widely regarded as the most difficult examination in the country. It demands the highest levels of dedication, determination, and hard work from those aspiring to serve the nation as IAS, IPS, or IFS officers. Only the brightest and most determined individuals succeed in clearing this examination, and one such inspiring success story is that of two sisters, Sushmitha Ramanathan and Ishwarya Ramanathan, daughters of a farmer from the Cuddalore district in Tamil Nadu, who overcame all odds to become IPS and IAS officers.
Born into a small family with an agricultural background, Sushmitha and Ishwarya faced financial difficulties and struggled with limited resources for their studies during childhood. One of the most heart-wrenching moments of their lives was losing their home during the 2004 tsunami. However, this tragedy did not break their spirit; instead, it strengthened their resilience and determination.
Despite these hardships, the sisters refused to give up and ultimately triumphed by passing the UPSC Civil Services Examination, securing their positions as IAS and IPS officers.
Among them, Ishwarya, the younger sister, was the first to achieve success. She cleared the Civil Services Examination in 2018, securing an All India Rank (AIR) of 628, and was selected for the Railway Accounts Service (RAS). However, she was not satisfied with her rank and decided to attempt the examination again. In 2019, she reappeared for the UPSC CSE and secured the 44th rank. At the age of 22, she became an IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre. She is currently serving as the Additional Collector (Development) in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi district.
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Sushmitha, on the other hand, faced multiple setbacks, failing to clear the examination in her first five attempts. However, her perseverance and dedication finally paid off when she succeeded on her sixth attempt in 2022, achieving an AIR of 528 and becoming an IPS officer in the Andhra Pradesh cadre. She is currently serving as the Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) in the Kakinada district of the southern state.
Their journey serves as a remarkable example of how perseverance, hard work, and resilience can lead to success, no matter the challenges one faces in life.
