Kerala's civil service topper O Anand eyes Karnataka cadre

Thiruvananthapuram: Twenty-three Malayalis are among those who clinched the top 1,000 ranks in the civil services exam 2015. Unlike last year, no Keralite made it to the top 10.  The 33rd rank was bagged by O. Anand  from Valenchery in Malappuram,  and he  topped the list of Keralites. Jeeva Maria Joy from Vanchiyoor,  Thiruvananthapuram, with 147th rank and R. Viswanadh  from Aluva, Ernakulam, with 181st rank stand at second and third positions respectively in the state.

This year, the results for Malayalis are not as spectacular as that in the  2014 exam. Last year, there were two Malayalis in the top ten - Renu Raj had secured second rank and K. Nitish  eighth. There were four others in the top 50. The last one to clinch a rank last year had got the 679th rank.

This year the last Malayali in the top 1000  secured 844. A Malayali has also scored the 1015th rank. The state was euphoric in 2013 when after a gap of two decades,  Haritha V, Kumar clinched the first rank. She was  the first woman topper from Kerala.

Anand wants to work for the deprived sections

Anand,  24, wants to serve in areas where human development is very low compared to Kerala. “Kerala tops the human development index in the country.  So I would prefer to work in Karnataka, especially in areas where the fruits of development have not reached the people yet. I want to serve the marginalised and deprived sections so that they too get the benefits of development,” said the 2010-14 batch student of College of Engineering, Trivandrum. His association with the pro-left students’ organisation SFI during college days had  shaped his thinking to a great extent, he told DC.     

“I like the Left ideology because it is humanist ideology,” said Anand who strongly believed in the SFI slogan  “study and struggle”   which inculcates a sense of responsibility among the students towards their fellow beings in the society.

The only child of his parents,  Jayarajan Unni,  a businessman,  and Mini, a teacher at Valanchery, the  student prepared for the civil service exams for almost one-and-a-half years. He also took classes at the Kerala Civil Service Academy which offers free coaching to candidates who have qualified preliminary exams.

A die-hard football fan, Anand’s favourite team is Manchester United and the best footballer Real Madrid star Christiano Ronaldo.  He will head for his home town Valanchery on Wednesday to celebrate his success  with his family and friends. Anand signed off reiterating his resolve to use the big opportunity that has come to him for the greater good of  mankind.