An island youth from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has secured a place in the country’s prestigious Civil Services Examination, bringing recognition to the archipelago and inspiring aspirants across the region even as the national results this year also drew attention to the islands through the service background of the examination’s topper.
Shiyad, a native of Wimberly Gunj village in South Andaman district, secured All India Rank 743 in the Civil Services Examination 2025 conducted by the Union Public Service Commission. The examination is among the most competitive recruitment processes in the country and serves as the gateway to services such as the Indian Administrative Service, Indian Police Service and several other central civil services.
His success has generated pride within the island community, where achievements in the civil services examination remain relatively rare. Educators and residents have described the result as a moment of encouragement for students from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands who aspire to compete in national-level examinations.
Shiyad began his academic journey in the islands. He completed his early schooling at Crescent Public School in Wimberly Gunj and later continued his education at MES School in Stewart Gunj before leaving the islands to pursue higher studies on the mainland.
For his undergraduate education, he moved to Kerala and enrolled at the College of Engineering Thiruvananthapuram, where he pursued a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Mechanical Engineering. After completing his engineering studies, he began preparing for the civil services examination, which involves multiple stages including the preliminary examination, the mains written examination and a personality test.
Clearing the examination in his fourth attempt, Shiyad’s journey reflects sustained preparation and perseverance over several years. His achievement has also resonated within the local community in South Andaman, particularly in Wimberly Gunj and neighbouring areas.
He is the son of Late K. Abdul Salam, who passed away in 2000, and Zubaida, who works as an Office Assistant at Crescent Public School in Wimberly Gunj. Belonging to a Pre-42 Moplah family, his success has drawn appreciation within the community and among educators who see it as an encouraging sign for students from the islands.
The UPSC results this year have also drawn broader attention because the top rank in the country was secured by Anuj Agnihotri, a doctor from Rawatbhata in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district. Agnihotri had earlier cleared the Civil Services Examination and was allotted the Delhi, Andaman and Nicobar Islands Civil Services. He joined service as a Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Delhi in December 2024 before securing the top rank in the latest examination cycle.
According to accounts of his preparation, Agnihotri cleared the examination after multiple attempts, reflecting the demanding nature of the selection process. His academic background is in medicine, having completed his MBBS from AIIMS Jodhpur in 2023 after earlier securing a high rank in the national medical entrance examination.
The Civil Services Examination attracts thousands of aspirants every year from across the country, many of whom spend several years preparing for the rigorous selection stages. For students from remote regions such as the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, success in the examination is often seen as particularly significant because of the geographical distance from major coaching hubs and limited access to specialised preparation resources.
Within the islands, Shiyad’s achievement has been widely viewed as an example of how students from the archipelago can compete successfully in national examinations despite these challenges. Over the years, a growing number of island students have begun exploring careers in the civil services and other competitive fields.
Residents and educators say such milestones help strengthen academic aspirations among younger students and encourage them to pursue opportunities beyond the islands.
For many aspiring candidates in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the journey of an island youth from a village in South Andaman to securing a place in the national civil services list represents both inspiration and a reminder that determination and sustained preparation can open doors to the country’s highest administrative services.
