LSR’s IAS topper: Was off FB, but shopped every 15 days

Topping the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination, that too in the first attempt, is no mean feat. Delhi girl Tina Dabi, who has done just that, says the feeling is yet to sink in. “People have been calling since Tuesday and the feeling is slowly sinking in,” she says.
Tina, who graduated from Lady Shri Ram College for Women in 2014, adds, “I was a Political Science (Hons) student in LSR.I graduated at the age of 20, but a candidate has to be 21 to sit for the civil services exams. I took coaching for a year and then applied in 2015. My teachers and friends from LSR motivated me and believed in me completely. Anybody who belongs to a particular college would say that their college is the best. I think, what you learn in your college life, remains with you throughout. LSR is a very strong foundation for any student.”

Tina admits that this ranking is going to change her life completely. “It is a bit scary too. I think I’ll be the baby of the batch because there are some things that you learn only with age. But I hope my seniors will guide me. I hope I have set an example for all those who have been working hard to reach this stage. I think if you put in the requisite amount of hard work and dedication, then it doesn’t matter if you are from a science or an arts background. I am from an arts background and I have proved that hard work pays off.”
Tina further shares that she had to go off social media to concentrate completely on her studies. “I deactivated my Facebook account last year, but I activated it on Tuesday (laughs). This exam is so tough that you are supposed to cut off your social life, which is a small sacrifice for this. But that doesn’t mean I’d locked myself up in a room or not meet my friends. Every 15 days, I used to go out with my friends and shop like a typical Delhi girl.”
Talking about her favourite hangout spots in Delhi, Tina says, “I live near Gole Market in CP, so that is the area where I hang out mostly. Sometimes, it depends on what I want to shop. If I wish to buy accessories, then I go to Dilli Haat, but if I’m looking for something western, then I go to the malls in Saket.”