Geologist Bubun Sahoo tops OCS exam in 2nd attempt

Bhubaneswar: Bubun Sahoo of Keonjhar has topped the Odisha Civil Services (OCS) Examination-2024 with four women ranking in the top-10.Son of a farmer, the 30-year-old studied geology at Ravenshaw University before pursuing MSc from IIT(ISM) Dhanbad. This was his second attempt at the OCS exam. "In my first attempt at OCS-2023, I was selected for the Odisha Police Service (OPS). I was undergoing training for the DSP rank when this result was announced," said Sahoo after the results were announced by Odisha Public Service Commission on Tuesday.After completing his MSc, he worked as a geologist at ONGC while simultaneously preparing for the OCS exam. "I prepared for nearly 2.5 years before appearing for the OCS for the first time. After joining ONGC, I used to study for four hours daily and extended it to seven hours on weekends," he said. Sahoo, who prepared for the exam on his own, relying on study materials and online tutorials, credited his success to consistency and perseverance.The OCS-2024 results also saw improved representation of women candidates. While last year, only one woman had secured a rank in the top-10, this time four of them — Sovna Mohanty (rank 2), Kanak Jain (4th), Sheetal Patra (9th) and Itishree Jena (10th) — have found themselves on the list.The top-10 also includes Jitamitra Sahu (3rd), Sangram Pradhan (5th), Aman Goyal (6th), Santanu Kumar Satpathy (7th) and Nitesh Kumar Barik (8th).According to OPSC reports, close to 30,000 aspirants appeared for the OCS Prelims for 200 posts on Oct 12 last year. Of them, 2,405 qualified and appeared for the Mains this year.CM Mohan Charan Majhi congratulated all the rank holders. "Administrative service is not merely a position, but rather a sacred vow of public service. Let it be your primary resolve to embrace it as such, to build a transparent, accountable, and people-centric administrative system, and to serve as representatives of the govt in ensuring that every welfare scheme reaches the beneficiaries in the farthest corners of society with success," he wrote on X.