Kerala’s Akhila, Who Lost Her Right Arm In Bus Accident Clears UPSC, Says ‘Will Try Again’; Here’s Why

Akhila B S, who secured 760th rank in the civil services examination 2022, did not let disability become a hurdle in her success.

Thiruvananthapuram: Akhila B S from Thiruvananthapuram has proved that any goal in life can be achieved with hard work and determination. Akila, who hails from Thiruvananthapuram’s Karette, lost her right arm in a bus accident when she was just five years old and had adapted to living with her left arm. Despite her condition, she did not let it hurdle her dreams and managed to pass the UPSC exam by securing a 760 rank.

Akhila, the second daughter of K Buhari, a former Headmaster at the Cotton Hill Government Girls High School met with an accident on September 11, 2000. She lost her right arm from the shoulder down and was asked to consult doctors from Germany. However, even after the examination by a medical team from Germany in India, her arms were not fixed. Akhila even travelled to the US and stayed there for several months, doctors finally said that she could not even have an artificial limb as she had lost the tip of her shoulder.

“I am happy. I give my first attempt in 2020. This is the first time I am making it to the list. My aim is to become an IAS officer and with this rank (760), I will not be able to get that service. I will prepare for the upcoming exam,” she told news agency ANI.

Kerala | Akhila B S from Thiruvananthapuram, who lost her right arm in a bus accident at the age of five, clears the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2023

“I am happy. I give my first attempt in 2020. This is the first time I am making it to the list. My aim is to become an IAS officer… pic.twitter.com/LUZJzQInMc

— ANI (@ANI) May 25, 2023

This was Akhila’s third attempt. In the first two attempts, she had cleared the prelims. Sharing her experience, Akhila said that she is happy and grateful. She told ANI that one of her teachers, who explained to her about the profession of Collector, inspired her to pursue preparation for the UPSC examination.

According to a report in onmanorama.com, Akhila secured A 1 grade in all subjects in her Class 10 final exam in CBSE. She followed it up with 1,196 marks out of 1,200 in the higher secondary exam. With a good record in academics, Akhila pursued an integrated MA at IIT Madras, where she also excelled in badminton.