Accident survivor Dr Athira Sugathan clears BDS, secures UPSC rank 483

Tragedy and Recovery

Dr Athira Sugathan secured All India Rank 483 in the 2025 UPSC Civil Services Examination, a feat that follows a life‑changing road accident. The crash left her on a ventilator for 28 days. When she woke, she could recognise only her mother and forgot her own name, her father, siblings and friends. Doctors warned she might never walk again. Intensive physiotherapy turned her into an independent wheelchair user.

Dental studies and modelling

At the time of the accident Athira was in the third year of a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) program. She returned to her textbooks, attended lectures and completed clinical work while using a wheelchair. A grateful elderly patient told her the dental procedure was far less painful than before, reinforcing her confidence. She graduated with a first‑class result. Athira also entered wheelchair modelling, becoming a showstopper at the Kerala Fashion League and reaching the finals of the Miss Wheelchair India competition.

UPSC triumph

During the COVID‑19 pandemic she volunteered with an NGO and witnessed the societal and systemic barriers faced by people with disabilities. The experience sparked her ambition to drive change through public service. She prepared for the UPSC by reviewing past papers, taking mock tests, writing answers, and adding current affairs and diagrams for the mains, while shaping a civil‑servant mindset for the personality test. Her effort paid off with an All India Rank of 483 in the 2025 Civil Services Examination. Her journey underscores resilience and the power of determination.