On the wall above A.S. Sreeja’s small study table in her modest home in Kerala’s Neyyattinkara was a “to-do” list: attempt the civil service examination only once, secure a rank high enough for the Indian Foreign Service in 2026, and finish in the top 15. Motivational quotes and religious verses also found a place on the wall.
The UPSC results came on Friday. Sreeja cleared the examination on her first attempt with 57th rank.
The 24-year-old daughter of a construction worker and a homemaker prepared for the exam amid financial hardship but with an unwavering resolve to enter the foreign service.
Sreeja’s father, Jayakumar, earns about ₹1,000 a day from construction work. Nearly half of that goes towards the weekly inhaler required by her mother, Sheeja
Kumari.
Sreeja, a resident of Naruvamood in Neyyattinkara taluk of Thiruvananthapuram district, pursued her civil service coaching largely through borrowed money, often relying on support from her uncles to continue her preparation.
Her modest study space at home reflects the determination behind her journey. Until a few weeks ago, Sreeja’s room did not even have a coat of paint. She recently gave her father ₹2,500 from money meant for books so he could buy paint.
Sreeja completed her graduation and Master’s degree in political science from Madras Christian College and also cleared the National Eligibility Test (NET).
She said her initial ambition was to become an IAS officer, but her interest gradually shifted while studying international relations.
“By the time I began studying international relations and diplomacy, my goal changed from becoming an IAS officer to joining the Indian Foreign Service,” Sreeja told
The Telegraph.
She said: “I’m hugely indebted to my parents who never said no to my dream of cracking the civil service exam.”
Her younger brother, J.S. Jyothish, is pursuing a BSc in physics at Loyola College in Chennai. Sreeja’s mother holds a Master’s degree but never secured a job. The couple chose to prioritise their children’s education despite financial constraints.
Overnight, life changed for Sreeja and her family, with people from far and wide visiting their home to congratulate her.