As a child, Ms. Poovitha Subhramanian used to dress us and proudly say she is an IAS officer in fancy dress competitions. Her parents thought it was just a passing fancy that will eventually fade away. But Ms. Subhramanian had made up her mind, and she entered IAS in 2015 after clearing the most prestigious and difficult examination of UPSC – CSE. She secured AIR 175 and successfully converted her dream into reality. Today, she is an IAS officer of Karnataka cadre.
CASTE DISCRIMINATION
Ms. Subhramanian was born to a dairy farmer’s house in the Karur district of Tamil Nadu. She has seen caste discriminations and social evils not just in her district, but in her own house, as well. She had once commented to a media organisation, “Around my hometown, the caste system was very stringent. While a certain community was made to toil in farmlands of the upper caste and tend their crops, the same community was treated with absolute contempt and called ‘untouchables.’ Their homes continue to be on the fringes, away from the others. Locals were worried when kids from lower castes advanced in their lives by utilising reservations in education and employment.”
FIRST GRADUATE
After completing her 12th, Ms. Subhramanian did her graduation in History making her parents proud by becoming the first person to graduate in her entire family. She then attempted UPSC CSE but because of the not-so-good results, her parents convinced her to do BTech in Textile from Kumaraguru College in Coimbatore.
After completing her BTech, she thought of attempting CSE again, but fate wasn’t on her side. Her family’s financial condition stopped her from preparing for the exam and she started working for Infosys instead.
“Even while I was working at Infosys, my passion for the administrative services continued. It took me three years, but I told my parents that I wanted to quit my job and attempt the UPSC exam. There was resistance from my close relatives who pressured my parents into getting me married. They would often tell my parents, ‘Why are you investing so much in the education of a girl child? She might go to a different city and make up her mind to marry someone outside the caste!’” she said.
DETERMINDED FOR CHANGE
To pursue her career, she had to fight with her relatives and neighbours to drive home the point that girls are not only meant to tie knots with someone and manage household chores. They also have dreams that they want to pursue.
“I remember how my mother was treated with absolute contempt because she did not belong to a wealthy family when my father wanted to marry her. The most unfortunate thing was also that my mother held herself responsible for how she was treated. She was unaware of her rights. I imagined if this was the case of affairs in one OBC household, how many more women would be silently suffering across different communities? I was determined to change this,” she said.
IRPS TO IAS OFFICER
She went to Delhi to prepare for CSE, but in her first attempt, she couldn’t clear Prelims. In her second attempt, she got selected for Indian Revenue Personnel Service, but she had made up her mind to become an IAS officer only. Finally, in her third attempt, she made it to the Indian Administrative Services.
“When I told my parents about my result, they burst into tears. It took them a lot of time to process it. I remember them cooing over the phone about how proud they were. The local media had started visiting our home, and the happiness on everyone’s faces was unmatched,” she shared.
MESSAGE FOR ASPIANTS
In her message to UPSC CSE aspirants, Ms. Subhramanian said, “Believe in yourself. The external factors will distract you from your goal or weigh you down. But don’t give up. If you don’t clear the exam in your first attempt, try harder in the second. Be consistent and as clichéd as it sounds, don’t lose hope. It will help you sail through.”
