Bhubaneswar, July 4: As many as 26 candidates from Odisha secured ranks in the Indian Civil Services, the results of which were announced today. This year, the aspirants from the state, both men and women, fared better than last year.

Ananya Das has secured the best rank from among state candidates at 16. Muhammed Abdaal Akhtar, Lingaraj Panda, Kranti Kumar Pati, Pamela Satpathy, Pravat Mallick, Smruti Ranjan Mohanty have secured ranks above 100. Last year, of the 18 rank holders from Odisha, only three were in the top 100. Lingaraj Panda, who had managed 312 rank last year, secured 38 this year.

Most of the successful candidates this year wish to work in Odisha. Muhammad Abdaal Akhtar, whose family hails from Jajpur, ranked 35 and said his first preference was Odisha. "I grew up in Delhi since my father is a civil servant. But I am very well connected to Odia culture and have also opted for Odisha as my first preference. I would love to work there given a chance," said Akhtar.

Odia women have fared better than last year. Pamela Satpathy from Bhubaneswar said she was busy balancing work and home but had attempted for the competitive despite getting very little time for preparation.

"I had to study all night since there was my college to teach at during the day and family time to unwind in the evenings. But the hard work has paid off. My parents, husband and in-laws supported me a lot during this," said Satpathy, who ranked 51.

The final results for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) 2014, were announced within four days after the final interviews. A total of 1,236 candidates have been selected.