Kerala's Malvika G Nair appeared for UPSC Mains exam 17 days after giving birth, gets 45th rank
KOCHI: Malavika G Nair, one of the three civil services candidates from Kerala to figure among the top 50 rank holders in the Civil Services Examination 2024 announced on Tuesday, said she appeared for the Civil Services (Main) Examination just 17 days after giving birth in September last year.
'I am very happy that my name appeared on the rank list, thank God. It was my last attempt to get into the IAS,' Nair, who hails from Chengannur in Alappuzha district, told reporters after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the results.
Nair, who has secured the 45th rank, is currently an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. She told reporters that the months in the runup to the examination had been a 'stressful period.'
'It was a highly strenuous attempt. I was pregnant while writing the prelims exam last year. There were challenges on the health front. My son was born on September 3 and I wrote the Mains exam on September 20. I was able to write the exam only because of the support given to me by my family,' she said, adding that the experience of writing the exam in previous years helped her immensely.
Nair, a deputy commissioner-rank officer, is currently on child-care leave. She has cracked the UPSC rank list twice before and secured the 172th rank in the 2022 exam when she was allocated the IRS.
Her husband Nandagopan M is an Indian Police Service (IPS) officer trainee of the 2023 batch, currently in charge of the Manjeri police station in Malappuram district.
'I am very happy because the effort she took while carrying the baby and preparing for the exam was massive. It is not easy at all. She is very deserving,' he said.
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Mains answer practice — GS 1 : Questions on significance of stromatolite formations and Kutch as a multi‑phased archaeological region (Week 106)
UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative for the practice of Mains answer writing. It covers essential topics of static and dynamic parts of the UPSC Civil Services syllabus covered under various GS papers. This answer-writing practice is designed to help you as a value addition to your UPSC CSE Mains. Attempt today's answer writing on questions related to topics of GS-1 to check your progress. 🚨 Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2025. Share your views and suggestions in the comment box or at Discuss the importance of Kutch as a multi‑phased archaeological region spanning hunter‑gatherer, pre‑Harappan, and mature Harappan phases. Discuss the significance of stromatolite formations for understanding the tectonic evolution of the Himalayas and the Tethys Sea. Introduction — The introduction of the answer is essential and should be restricted to 3-5 lines. Remember, a one-liner is not a standard introduction. — It may consist of basic information by giving some definitions from the trusted source and authentic facts. Body — It is the central part of the answer and one should understand the demand of the question to provide rich content. — The answer must be preferably written as a mix of points and short paragraphs rather than using long paragraphs or just points. — Using facts from authentic government sources makes your answer more comprehensive. Analysis is important based on the demand of the question, but do not over analyse. — Underlining keywords gives you an edge over other candidates and enhances presentation of the answer. — Using flowcharts/tree-diagram in the answers saves much time and boosts your score. However, it should be used logically and only where it is required. Way forward/ conclusion — The ending of the answer should be on a positive note and it should have a forward-looking approach. However, if you feel that an important problem must be highlighted, you may add it in your conclusion. Try not to repeat any point from body or introduction. — You may use the findings of reports or surveys conducted at national and international levels, quotes etc. in your answers. Self Evaluation — It is the most important part of our Mains answer writing practice. UPSC Essentials will provide some guiding points or ideas as a thought process that will help you to evaluate your answers. QUESTION 1: Discuss the importance of Kutch as a multi‑phased archaeological region spanning hunter‑gatherer, pre‑Harappan, and mature Harappan phases. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — Researchers have discovered human remains in the Great Rann of Kutch dating back at least 5,000 years before the Harappans. The finding is based on dating and analysing shell remains discovered in the late nineteenth century. — In 1872, Anglo-Irish geologist Arthur Beavor Wynne described 'a patch of large broken univalve shells' discovered 'all over the northern side of Kutch' in his memoirs for the Geological Survey of India (GSI). Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — A study reveals linkages between the Kutch midden site – archaeological sites where huge numbers of marine shells, bones, tools, and ceramics are generally found – and those in Oman and Pakistan along the coast of the northern Arabian Sea, where these pre-Harappan civilisations most likely resided. — A fresh group of archaeological remains was discovered about a km from the Harappan site of Dholavira near Bambhanka, the southernmost village on Khadir Beyt (island), on the road that connects the island to the Kutch mainland. — Khadir was one of six islands in this region where sea levels were higher until around 5,000-6,000 years ago, according to V N Prabhakar, an associate professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar's Department of Earth Sciences, Humanities, and Social Sciences. — 'The surface had broken potsherds, shell remains, and flakes of carnelian and agate, while on the surface were remnants of walls built with random rubble masonry,' Dr. Rai tells The Indian Express. A trench built for a pipeline on the hillock's western edge revealed a 30-40-cm-thick accumulation of shell remains. — The majority of the shell remains have been broken in the centre, most likely to extract meat. Similar findings from Pakistan's Las Bela region date back to the seventh and fifth millennia BCE, implying that hunter-gatherer tribes relied on shell remains for food and engaged in long-distance commerce within inland locales. Conclusion: — The study reveals the presence of coastal hunter-gatherer societies in the Great Rann of Kutch region that have adapted to the mangrove habitat, which is home to the shell species documented thus far, such as Terebralia palustris or the gigantic mangrove whelk. — Most sites are on river banks, about 2-2.5 km from the ocean, although some are farther inside, implying that the occupants hauled the sea shells inside. We were unable to reach the northern coast, which is a forested area, but there may be additional deposits. — The few remaining mangroves are discovered in the Little Rann of Kutch, southeast of Dholavira, near Lakhpat on the west coast, and at an inland area known as Shravan Kavadiya, northeast of Bhuj, which may have been the ancient shoreline. (Source: Stories in Kutch shells: Hunter-gatherers who lived in Gujarat 5,000 years before the Harappans and their cities) Points to Ponder Read about Dholavira Other Indus Valley civilisations sites in Gujarat Related Previous Year Questions The ancient civilization in Indian sub-continent differed from those of Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece in that its culture and traditions have been preserved without a breakdown to the present day. Comment. (2015) To what extent has the urban planning and culture of the Indus Valley Civilization provided inputs to the present day urbanization? Discuss. (2014) QUESTION 2: Discuss the significance of stromatolite formations for understanding the tectonic evolution of the Himalayas and the Tethys Sea. Note: This is not a model answer. It only provides you with thought process which you may incorporate into the answers. Introduction: — Stromatolites are the earliest known fossil records of life on Earth. These structures are formed by complicated interactions between microbial mat populations and their geochemical surroundings. — Stromatolites, which are reef-like structures formed by ancient cyanobacteria in shallow oceans, provide evidence of this evolution. These mineralised mounds, which may be found all over India, from the Vindhyas and Cuddapah Basin to the limestone ridges of the Himalayas, record a time when oxygen did not exist and continents had not collided. Body: You may incorporate some of the following points in your answer: — These ancient structures provide a glimpse into a time when the Earth's atmosphere was dominated by greenhouse gases and oxygen was nonexistent. Their location in the Himalayas, far from any contemporary coastline, tells a story about tectonic upheavals, lost oceans, and the microbiological origins of life. — Ancient microbial mats, primarily made up of blue-green algae or cyanobacteria, caught and bonded silt over time, resulting in layered, reef-like mounds. — Stromatolites are bio sedimentary structures formed in shallow maritime environments by blue-green algae. — As oxygen began to accumulate in the atmosphere, due to these early cyanobacteria, the Earth changed from anaerobic to aerobic conditions, clearing the way for multicellular life. Around 3.5 billion years ago, the only species to survive were single-celled bacteria that produced oxygen. 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