Dr. Mithun Premraj, a native of Vadakara in Kozhikode, has bagged the 12th rank in the country in the UPSC Civil Service Examinations 2021, and has emerged the second rank holder in the State. Mithun, a medical professional, cleared the test in his fifth attempt and has chosen the Indian Administrative Service as his first option for placement.
Mithun had his schooling in his native place Vadakara as well as Thrissur, after which he completed MBBS from JIPMER, Pondicherry, and later, a PG Diploma in Public Health Management. He was working at the District Hospital in Vadakara, which is now a COVID hospital, until just before the Civil Service interviews.
In all his five attempts, he had chosen geography as his main subject, as he was interested in it from a young age. He had passed the Mains and had attended the interview thrice. In 2017, he was in the reserve list for Civil Service rank holders.
“I was determined to clear the Civil Services, but had never expected such a high rank”, Dr. Mithun said. He said he was much more comfortable with the interview than the prelims or the Mains. “Prelims are always unpredictable and the Mains is more about writing. I was in my element at the interview, which was more of a personality test”, he said.
Dr. Mithun has also tried his hand in the Kerala Administrative Service.