Botany as an optional subject for the UPSC civil services is not highly popular unlike subjects like geography, public administration or political science. This is because it is a science subject, one that is specific in nature. Only candidates with a background in botany or biotechnology are recommended to take up botany optional in the IAS mains. Nevertheless, there are quite a few IAS toppers with botany optional. In this article, you can read about IAS topper Dibya Jyoti Parida who cleared the IAS exam with Botany optional.
There are many advantages of taking botany as the optional such as less subjectivity and room for interpretation in the written answers, static portions, direct and straight-forward questions and the ample scope to score marks with diagrams. Dibya Jyoti Parida had opted for this optional subject when he bagged an impressive rank of 26 in the 2015 UPSC exam.
Botany Optional Syllabus:-Download PDF Here
The UPSC topper 2015 was Tina Dabi, who had opted for political science as her optional subject. The below table gives the names of a few IAS toppers with Botany optional.
| Name | Year | Rank |
| Nikhil Thawal | 2017 | 799 |
| Dibya Jyoti Parida | 2015 | 26 |
| Stuti Charan | 2012 | 3 |
| Gopala Sundera Raj | 2011 | 5 |
| Ashish Kumar Srivastava | 2010 | 61 |
| Arvind Mallapa Bangari | 2010 | 83 |
Dibya Jyoti Parida IAS
- Hailing from Cuttack, Odisha, Parida did his post-graduation in Botany with specialisation in genetics.
- His father Prasanna Kumar Parida works as an engineer while his mother Dr Mayabini Jena is a scientist in the entomology division with the Central Rice Research Institute (CRRI), Cuttack.
- This was his third attempt at the IAS exam.
- Parida credits his parents for his success. He says, “They are a source of inspiration for me. Their work ethics, integrity and honesty as Government servants have inspired me. I was determined to crack the civil services examination in this attempt.”
- In 2018, upon completion of his training at the LBSNAA, he has been appointed as Assistant Secretary in the Department of Commerce, Government of India.
To know more about the Botany optional in the IAS mains, click on the link below:
Strategy for Botany Optional for UPSC Mains Exam.
Candidates should think twice before fixing on an optional subject for UPSC 2023. The optional accounts for 500 marks in the final tally. Therefore, it is prudent to go through the optional syllabus and analyse the pros and cons of the subject before selecting it. For more on how to select an optional subject, click on the linked article.
Related Links:
| UPSC Mains Syllabus | UPSC Current Affairs Quiz |
| IAS Eligibility | IAS Coaching |
| IAS Salary | IAS Toppers’ Marks |
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