Disabled Coimbatore youth clears civil services exam

COIMBATORE: A 25-year-old disabled Coimbatore youth cleared the UPSC civil services examination 2025 and secured an all-India rank of 942. A Abdullah Afridh of Al Ameen Colony in Ukkadam, who suffers from multiple disabilities including locomotor disability, prepared for the examination at a free coaching centre in Chennai after completing his postgraduation in economics in the year 2024. Abdullah told TOI that he had cleared the examination in his first attempt. He said, "The reason I chose to clear the examination is to support those who have helped me reach this height. Initially, I cleared my preliminary exams online. For the main examination, IKLAS IAS Academy in Chennai extended a free coaching, including sponsoring my stay.”Abdullah's father, Abdul Azeem, is a daily wage earner who does machine cutting work. His mother, A Sharmila, is a homemaker.He added, "Despite being a daily wage earner, my father extended his full support to me. I'm pretty sure that I have possibilities in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), the Indian Revenue Service (IRS) and in a few other sectors. However, the finalisation of the sector will depend on the marks in the upcoming days."