Revu Mutyala Raju of Krishna district belonging to the other backward classes has topped the civil services examinations of 2007, the results of which were announced on Monday.

This was the third attempt for Mr Raju, son of a farmer, Mr Narasimha Murthy, of Chinagullapalem of Krishna district.

Both his elder brothers are farmers and they belong to the Agnikula Kshatriya caste of the fisherman community among the OBCs.

His aim is to improve the life standards of people living in villages like his native place, which is isoleted by water and remained as remote island.

Mr Raju is undergoing training as an IPS officer at the National Police Academy in Hyderabad. He took electrical engineering and mathematics as optionals to try for the IAS exam and came out on top.

Mr Raju, who graduated from the Regional Engineering College, Warangal, told this correspondent that he expected a rank within the top 10. "I am so happy, I did not expect the top rank," he said. He will attend training at NPA as usual, he said.