https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Son Follows IAS-IPS Parents Into Civil Service

Akshay Pillay, whose parents are bureaucrats, cleared CSE 2021 by securing the top rank of 51.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Coming from a privileged background, as both parents are top bureaucrats, Akshay Pillay from Chhattisgarh bagged a top rank in the UPSC 2021 Civil Services Exam. He secured an All-India Rank 51 to emerge as one of the toppers in the exam. It is generally thought of that children of bureaucrats have an upper hand in clearing this tough examination. But, it was hard work that ultimately proved to be the most reliable way, as Akshay took four years to clear all the stages to enter his name in the final list.

Akshay completed his schooling from Rajkumar College, Raipur and then went on to study Mechanical Engineering from NIT, Raipur. Since his parents were bureaucrats, he planned on appearing for the UPSC exam very early in his life.

IMPROVED WITH EVERY STAGE

Akshay completed his Mechanical Engineering in the year 2017 and wasted no time in gearing up for the UPSC preparation. He had this in mind from the very beginning, and motivation also came from the whole family, including his mother, father and sister.

His mother Renu Pillay is currently serving as Additional Chief Secretary, Technical Education, Govt of Chhattisgarh, whereas his father Sanjay Pillay is an IPS officer and is serving as ADGP in Chhattisgarh Police.

In an interview to media, Akshay said that initially he lacked proper guidance and understanding of some subjects which were mostly related to General Studies. “I initially thought that self-study would be enough. But after three attempts, I understood that I needed support in a few subjects and then started looking for resources that could help me.”

In the first two attempts, he managed to clear the preliminary stage. However, he failed to clear the mains stage. It would have been very disappointing for anybody but Akshay didn’t lose hope.

He said, “The improvement I was making in my preparation every year was the biggest part of motivation and results were being paid for by my hard work. Apart from this, my parents and sister supported a lot in this journey, which was a tough one but worth it.”

MADE IT FINALLY

Akshay appeared for the exam again in 2020 and this time it was more disappointing for him as he missed it by 2 marks. As his dream was to follow in his parents’ footsteps, he appeared for the exam again in 2021 and trusted his preparation to help him clear it this time.

The result day was a dream come true for Akshay, as he finally got rewarded for his hard work by making it to the final list with a top rank of 51.

Giving tips to clear the exam in front of the media, Akshay said, “My top three tips for cracking UPSC are: be familiar with the syllabus and question paper pattern, be aware of your strengths and weaknesses and choose the optional carefully, and revise.”

He further touched a very important point, which is, the stress of working 14-15 hours a day. He calls it unsustainable and not the right way to do it.


Indian Masterminds Stories
Related Stories
NEWS
Abhishek Prakash IAS
Suspended IAS Officer Abhishek Prakash Chargesheeted in Bribery Case
Indian Railways
13 New Divisional Railway Managers Appointed in Indian Railways
Bank_Banking_news
C.S. Setty Appointed as Chairman of Indian Banks' Association
delhi-government-resized
Delhi Govt to Open Jan Aushadhi Kendras in All State-Run Hospitals
IAS Sujatha Karthikeyan
IAS Officer Sujata Karthikeyan, Wife of Ex-IAS & BJD Leader V K Pandian, Takes VRS: Will She Join Politics Next?
IFS Indian Forest Service resized (IFoS)
1,177 Indian Foreign Service Officers Are in India, Government Informs Parliament
Sarada Muraleedharan IAS
Kerala CS Sarada Muraleedharan Responds to Colourist Remarks: ‘Black Can Absorb Anything’
Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs
CBIC Accepts Voluntary Retirement of Two IRS (C&IT) Officers
Videos
Sajjan Yadav, IAS
The Policy Maker Who Turned India’s Vaccine Story and UPSC Struggles into Bestsellers
WhatsApp Image 2025-03-21 at 14.33
Training The Cops In Mastering The Technology Used By Criminals
IAS Ayush Prasad
This IAS Officer Dreams of Making Jalgaon a $25 Billion Economy in Four Years
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
IAS Amit Kataria
A Leader with a People-Centric Approach
Dr
Shekhar Pathak, The Chronicler, Was One Of The Pioneers Of The Movement Launched By Gaura Devi
Videos
Sajjan Yadav, IAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-03-21 at 14.33
IAS Ayush Prasad
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT