Defying All Odds, Kerala Woman with Cerebral Palsy Gets 922 Rank in UPSC Exams

New Delhi: Defying all odds, a 23-years-old woman from Kozhikode , Kerala cleared civil services exam despite battling cerebral palsy. Sarika AK, could not use her right hand due to her condition, still she managed to secure a meritorious rank of 922 in her second attempt at the UPSC 2023 exam conducted by Union Public Service Commission. 

Sarika was initially shocked at her result as she id not expect to get such a high rank. he conveyed her happiness at the achieving the milestone. Crediting her success to the support of her friends, family and teachers, while emphasizing the significant role her parents played in her journey. 

Sarika said that she draws inspiration from figures like Jessica Cox, a licenses pilot without arms. She opted civil service after her graduation. She emphasized the important of continuous efforts for one's dreams. 

Sarika has gone through a arduous journey till achieving her dreams. She faced challenges from navigating the exam centers. However, she overcame all the curveballs with resilience and positive attitude. She said that the accessibility of exam centre at the Kozhikode was a boon. 

She recalled that she was accompanied with her father during the interview phase held in Delhi, who flew down from Qatar to support her. 

Sarika said her interview was mainly about her graduation subject and her hometown of Kozhikode. 

She was part of 'Project Chithrashalabham,' a training program launched by Absolute IAS Academy Founder, Author, and Motivational Speaker Dr. Jobin S. Kottaram to provide free civil service coaching to students with disabilities