Success Story: Tamanna Sinha, Indian Economic Service (IES)
exam Topper 2012
Tamanna Sinha, a Jadavpur University alumnus, has topped the
intensely competitive Indian Economic Service (IES) exam, salvaging some pride
for Bengal that barely figures on the IAS topper’s list.
The IES selects the men and women who will go on to formulate critical
economic policies for the country.
Tamanna inherited her passion for economics from her father,
retired IAS officer Trinath Krishna Sinha. After passing ICSE from Lycee School
on Hindustan Road followed by ISC in economics stream at Our Lady Queen of the
Mission in Park Circus, Tamanna enrolled for economics at JU.
“It was during my post-graduation that my father inspired me
to take the IES exam. Even in my schooldays, I would wonder how policies are
formulated and implemented in a country as vast and diverse as India. So when I
learnt that IES was the stepping stone to being part of the policy and programme
making body, I got hooked. Since then, I have had only IES at sight and did not
consider any other career option,” Tamanna said.
She ranked 10th in post-grad, and cleared the IES written test in 2009, but
fell short in the interview. She skipped the next year to prepare better and
appeared the test again in 2011.
The following year, Tamanna did not sit for the exam due to a
family-related issue. “Since I was studying on my own with only my father to
help, being thorough with the vast syllabus and staying focused in the run-up to
the examination is very important,” she pointed out.
The interview went like a breeze this time. “I thought I had
done well but in an examination as competitive as this, where some of the best
students compete for just 29 slots, one can’t really predict. When the results
were published on June 10, I was dumbfounded,” said Tamanna.
Her father is overjoyed. “This is the best gift she could
give me. I was always confident of her potential and knew she could pass the
test. But that she stood first is unbelievable,” he said. Tamanna’s home-maker
mother Sarmistha is thrilled.
So having cleared the first hurdle to becoming an economic
analyst and planner, what does she think of the financial situation of her home
state? “Bengal is financially in dire straits and does need support, perhaps by
way of a moratorium on loan repayment. But it has to be within the country’s
federal structure. It also has to develop a mechanism for proper funds
utilization and execution of projects,” she said.
Courtesy: The Times of India