Meet the Four Women Toppers Who Aced UPSC & Made Every Indian Woman Proud

By: WE Staff

Women empowerment has been widely discussed across India and has also seen continuous growth over the past few years. Much like every other sector in the country, women’s role in the bureaucracy has also been on a steady rise. Indian women have been acing the civil services examinations as well.

This year's UPSC exam results proved just that. Released on Tuesday, 23 May 2023, the list of toppers brought a moment of pride for women across the country.

2023 saw the highest number of females chosen for the civil service program. In addition to this, women have been winning the top positions in this particular examination over the past several years, there has been a steady rise in the expansion of women's representation in the civil services. In terms of percentage, UPSC has observed an increase of women candidates from 24 per cent in 2018 to 34 per cent in 2022.

This year as well, women have outperformed men by claiming the top four positions in the UPSC toppers list. This year, 14 of the top 25 are female. Ishita Kishore, an SRCC graduate from Gautam Buddha Nagar, took first place in the examination on her third try. Garima Lohia, a Bihar native who graduated from Kirorimal College grabbed the second position, Uma Harathi N, an IIT Hyderabad graduate with a BTech degree took the third position, and Smriti Mishra, a Miranda House graduate with BSc made up the fourth position.

Let us have a detailed look at the following four toppers of UPSC examinations who made India proud.

Ishita Kishore

Ishita Kishore is the first rank holder of the UPSC 2023 examination. The 26-year-old graduate aced the prestigious competitive examination on her third attempt. Ishita who hails from Uttar Pradesh has graduated with a bachelor's degree in economics from the Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) of Delhi University. She currently resides in Greater Noida.

Ishita is the child of an Air Force Officer and her mother works as a teacher at a private school. Youngest of two siblings, her brother is a lawyer. Ishita has previously worked for the global firm Ernst & Young.

Garima Lohia

Garima Lohia, who belongs to the eccentric village of Bihar that is Buxar and achieved AIR 2 in the UPSC CSE 2022 results without getting any extra classes or coaching has become of the top achievers. She paved her path to success on her second attempt at the civil services examination. Garima has been persistent and had perseverance and also stayed devoted to her aim despite facing personal difficult situations, such as the tragic loss of her father, Narayan Prasad Lohia, four years ago. When asked about her success, she shared a piece of advice to the UPSC aspirants to develop their preparation plans and study in a setting where they are most comfortable, whether it be at home or somewhere else.

Uma Harathi N

Uma Harathi N is a native of Telangana and graduated with a degree in civil engineering. She has a very supportive family who stood up by her all over her journey of securing the AIR 3 position. Her father is the superintendent of police for the Narayanpet district who encouraged her to attempt civil services whereas her mother is a housewife. She has been working hard to achieve this place. Her determination and perseverance to not lose hope made her clear on the Union Public Service Commission test on her fifth attempt with an AIR 3. She has encountered many challenges while preparing for this competitive examination but at last, all her hard work pays off.

Smriti Mishra

Smriti Mishra is the fourth topper on the list of qualified candidates for the UPSC examination. She is a local girl of Prayagraj who earned the respect of her parents as well as the whole country by clinching the fourth position in the UPSC-2022 examinations. Smriti's father, Rajkumar Mishra currently serves as a CO in Bareilly. She attended St. Clair's Higher Secondary School in Agra. Completed her graduation degree in BSc in Life Sciences at Miranda House (DU), where she also stayed at the hostel premises. She is currently pursuing her studies in law and will be appearing for her final semester examination in Delhi.

Who are women bureaucrats and what do they do?

Women who serve in the Indian government's bureaucracy are referred to as "Women Bureaucrats in India". In India, civil servant officials who are a member of the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) and other affiliated services like the Indian Police Service (IPS) and Indian Foreign Service (IFS) make up the bureaucracy.

Women bureaucrats in India are those who have successfully cleared competitive examinations like the Civil Services Examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). The posts that are offered after clearing this examination include District Collectors, Commissioner, Secretaries, Director, or those in other important positions in local, state, or federal government agencies.