Two Tamil medium candidates crack civil services, credit TN govt's support

IN a remarkable feat, two candidates from Tamil Nadu, P Kamaraj (29) and S Sankar Pandiyaraj (30), have cleared the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE), 2024, by writing it in Tamil, securing 614th and 807th ranks, respectively.

- EXPRESS NEWS SERVICE @ Chennai

Of the six candidates who attempted mains in Tamil, only these two aspirants, who studied in Tamil medium schools, cleared the exam. Notably, the number of candidates opting to write the exam in Tamil is fairly low, and no one had cleared it in Tamil last year.

Sankar Pandiyaraj from Rajapalayam in Virudhunagar, is the son of tailors settled in Madurai. "I was inspired to become an IAS officer after meeting Sagayam IAS in Madurai. Studying in Tamil medium, I wanted to write the exam in the language I was most comfortable with," he said. However, clearing the exam without knowing English is nearly impossible, he said, recalling his initial struggles with the language.