The UPSC Civil Services Exam (CSE) which serves as the gateway to IAS, IPS, and IFS is undoubtedly one of the toughest exams in India. Many candidates aspire to crack the exam and fulfill their dreams of becoming a civil servant.
However, a brilliant mind Gahana Navya James is not like other aspirants. Even after securing an AIR-6, she chose not to become an IAS officer. Well, you read that right! The Malayali girl secured 6th rank in UPSC 2022 but chose not to become an IAS officer.
Hailing from Pala in the Kottayam district of Kerala, Navya pursued her BA in History at Alphonsa College in Pala. She then went on to pursue her MA in Political Science and secured 1st rank from St. Thomas College. She also pursued her PhD in International Relations after securing the Junior Research Fellowship in the UGC NET exam.
A brilliant mind, she decided to appear for the UPSC exam in 2022, that too without any coaching. She only relied on newspapers and the Internet. She often read newspapers since she was young which helped her establish her opinions on a variety of topics and developments that benefited her in the UPSC exam.
Inspired by her uncle IFS officer Sibi George, Navya also decided to become an IFS officer instead of an IAS despite security an impressive AIR-6.
“My uncle, a 1993-batch IFS officer and present Ambassador of India to Japan has been a motivating factor for civil services. Besides, his presence in foreign services kindled an interest in keeping a tab on international affairs,” Navya shared in an interview with Indian Express.