Rourkela NIT, which is already in the limelight for its students, shone more brightly this year as five of its alumni cracked the UPSC Civil Services Exams-2023.
Significantly, its alumnus, 24-year-old Animesh Pradhan from Talcher emerged second topper in the civil services exam. He did his B-Tech in Computer Science from NIT.
Animesh said, "This exam is tough. Every alternate day one would feel like quitting midway. But one should think about what the initial objective was. If that reason is strong, motivation will come automatically.”
Other alumni who secured ranks in the UPSC CSE-2023 are Padmanav Mishra (rank-176, completed Electrical Engineering from NIT in 2018), Biswajit Panda (Rank-343, completed Electrical Engineering from NIT in 2016), Anuska Sarkar (rank-426, completed M.A in 2019 from NIT) and Kalul Hazarika (Rank-992, completed Mechanical Engineering in 2016 from NIT).
Padmanabh said, "The pattern of teaching, alumni network, and guidance of professors help students to generate critical thinking. This also helps students not only in UPSC exams but also in any other fields.”
Biswajit said, "It is the age of technology. Engineering and civil services were thought to be antagonistic to each other. But before I studied at NIT, I had decided to become a civil servant.”
As for her UPSC performance, Anuska was all praise for the NIT. “Studying at NIT was a monumental decision in my life. The journey to the UPSC in fact started from here.”
In the last few years, students of Rourkela NIT have put up a good show in the UPSC exams.
NIT student Kasturi Panda was ranked 67th in the 2022 exam. IPS Mitrabhanau Mohapatra is a product of NIT.
NIT Director Prof. Karanam Uma Maheshwar Rao exuded hope that students of NIT cracking the UPSC exams will increase in the days to come. “The students who had determination and worked accordingly got success,” he observed.
Senior Professor of NIT Himansu Sahu said, "There is a rising trend. They have committed to mentor the future generations of NIT."
On the other hand, the success of the NIT students in the civil services has raised a question mark on the ability of government colleges and universities in Odisha to produce such results.
Educationist Satyakam Mishra said, "Civil services exams are now conducted in regional languages. Good study materials are not available in Odia for which Odia students are lagging behind.”