Latest news with #ShankarIASAcademy
The Hindu
19-05-2025
- General
- The Hindu
TNPSC Group 1 achievers felicitated in Coimbatore
Shankar IAS Academy in Coimbatore felicitated five of its students who cleared the TNPSC Group 1 exams, at a function held on Sunday. Professor E. Balagurusamy, former UPSC member and Anna University Vice-Chancellor, was the Chief Guest. He honoured Madhu Varshini (Assistant Commissioner – Commercial Tax), Harsha (Assistant Director of Rural Development), and Beulah Violet (DSP). Larsen Israel (DSP) and Jeevitha (Deputy Registrar, Cooperative Society) were honoured in absentia. Prof. Balagurusamy emphasised the role of civil servants in nation-building and urged aspirants to uphold ethical values, think critically, and work collaboratively.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Indian bureaucracy is one of the finest in the world, says Nirmala Sitharaman
Civil services officers should not fall into temptations and must avoid short cuts, Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman said here on Friday. She was speaking at a function organised by the Shankar IAS Academy to felicitate the candidates who emerged successful in the Union Public Service Commission's (UPSC's) civil services examination, 2024, and heaped praise on the Indian bureaucracy. 'It is widely networked, and keeps a meticulous record. They [bureaucrats] are aware of the work done by an officer even in the remotest place,' she added. Unlike other countries, India is frugal and sends only a handful of officers with a Minister for negotiations with foreign governments, she added. She further said that bureaucrats should have absolute control of their job, be tech savvy and specialise in an area. They are not cut-off from the headquarters, especially now when the Prime Minister interacts with district officials once a month under the Pragati programme. Ms. Sitharaman further said that officers from Tamil Nadu or those from Tamil Nadu assigned to other States were of 'high quality'. 'When you belong to that cadre, you have a natural advantage,' she said, urging the young officers to serve the State. Former Madras High Court judge S. Vimala said: 'You must be prepared to achieve at all times,' she said, adding that bureaucrats should not expect praise for their work, for it is service to the State. Former permanent representative of India to the U.S. T.S. Tirumurti urged the young officers to remember that 'at the end of every decision, there is a human being'. Former Vice-Chancellor of Anna University and a UPSC member E. Balagurusamy urged the young officers to be creative, inculcate critical thinking, collaborate and communicate effectively. Former Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry Tamilisai Soundararajan recalled her experience with the Chief Secretaries during her tenure. After a gap of 14 years, the Union Territory presented a full budget, she said, recalling the hard work that the bureaucrats had put in. Chief Secretaries worked hard to introduce horizontal reservation for government school students in professional courses in just 10 days, she recalled. A.C. Shanmugam, founder of Dr. MGR Educational and Research Institute, said officers should learn to speak Hindi as it would help them wherever they are posted. Vaishnavi Shankar, managing partner of Shankar IAS Academy, detailed the achievements in the UPSC and Tamil Nadu Public Services Commission.
The Hindu
02-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Caste census will help to improve opportunities for the needy, says Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman
The Centre has decided to hold a caste-based census not to gain political mileage, but to improve opportunities for the less privileged, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Friday. She was speaking on the sidelines of an event to felicitate the newly selected civil service officers, organised by Shankar IAS Academy here. She said the DMK should not seek political mileage out of the census. Asked about the DMK and INDIA bloc claiming credit for the move, she said the DMK should not talk about caste when it professed samathuvam (equality), adding the census would provide data necessary to create opportunities for the less privileged. 'Even today, I see name boards with caste names on streets in Tamil Nadu. It was in Tamil Nadu that in the name of community, sewage was added to drinking water. Such an act has not been played out even in the northern States that are being spoken of as backward,' she said . To a question from the media about Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin's remarks that despite the Central government denying funds, the State government was managing on its own, Ms. Sitharaman said it was surprising that ruling DMK members thanked her in private messages for the funds the State had received, but postured otherwise in public. 'I get private messages from the ruling party members — I don't want to name them — thanking me for the funds. We have given funds under the MGNREGA. They thank me in private messages, saying the funds have been received. But publicly they posture as if the government had not received funds,' she said. On Mr. Stalin's criticism that the AIADMK-BJP was a corrupt coalition, Ms. Sitharaman asked which coalition's Ministers were asked to step down by court. Two Ministers, one because of corruption charges and the other for some other reason, had to step down. 'They had to step down. How can the respected Chief Minister speak of our coalition? In English, they say, 'Who is quoting the Bible', and the answer begins with S. I don't want name it,' she said. As for the accusation that the BJP government gave tax relief only to corporates, she asked for evidence. 'If the country has the right policy, if there is a stable government, and if the tax policy is conducive to everyone, business will grow. Micro, small and medium enterprises are growing in Tamil Nadu. Did the State not take it up as a policy? For these baseless allegations, I appeal to you to ask them for evidence. Today, the Prime Minister commissioned the Vizhinjam Port in Kerala. The port has come up only because of Adani. It was the Congress that gave the project to Adani. The Congress's ally is the DMK. Pose this question to the DMK. The project was [conceived] when Oommen Chandy was Kerala's Chief Minister. He invited Adani and gave the project to him without any tender,' she said. Ms. Sitharaman said she had come to Shankar IAS Academy to greet the young civil service officers who had been selected in the recent UPSC examination. In the 1950s, there were over 600 civil service officers from Tamil Nadu; but the number had fallen subsequently. After the implementation of the Mandal Commission recommendations, the number climbed. Now, there were more than 900 officers from Tamil Nadu, including those who domiciled in the State. But the number is still low, she said, adding that more candidates from the State must join the civil services.
Business Standard
23-04-2025
- General
- Business Standard
Shankar IAS Academy Records 238 Selections in UPSC 2024, Reinforces National Presence
PNN Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], April 23: Shankar IAS Academy has once again solidified its position as a premier institution for UPSC aspirants with an outstanding performance in the Civil Services Examination 2024. As the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the final results on April 22, 2025, the academy proudly celebrated the selection of 238 students from across its centers into India's top civil services. Among the 1009 candidates who cleared the examination for coveted positions such as IAS, IPS, and IFS, a significant number were trained and mentored by Shankar IAS Academy. Impressively, 25 students from the academy secured positions in the Top 100 All India Ranks, with 10 of them being women, showcasing the institution's commitment to inclusive excellence. Leading the achievers from Tamil Nadu is B. Sivachandran, who secured All India Rank 23 and Rank 1 from Tamil Nadu. He underwent the Mains and Interview coaching programs at Shankar IAS Academy. Other notable performers include Monica R, who achieved AIR 39 through the Mains and Interview Programme, and Pavithra P, who secured AIR 42 through the GSPCM Classroom Programme. Adding to the academy's nationwide impact, Raj Krishna Jha, who attended the Mock Interview Programme at Shankar IAS Academy Delhi, achieved a phenomenal All India Rank 8. From Tamil Nadu alone, 57 candidates successfully cleared the examination this year, and an impressive 45 of them were students of Shankar IAS Academy-- a testament to the academy's academic rigor and mentorship. The UPSC CSE 2024 journey began with the Preliminary Exam on June 16, 2024, followed by the Main Exam held from September 20 to 29, 2024. The Mains results were released on December 9, 2024, and the interview phase ran from January 7 to April 17, 2025, culminating in the final results announced on April 22, 2025. With this remarkable track record, Shankar IAS Academy continues to inspire and guide future civil aspirants of India.
