Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 25 congratulated those who cleared the UPSC’s civil services examination and said an exciting and satisfying career in public service awaits them as they will go on to have key administrative roles during an important period of India’s journey.

He also had a word of encouragement for those who fell short.

He tweeted, “To those young friends who did not clear the UPSC examination, I would like to say, you are very talented individuals. There are more attempts awaiting. At the same time, India is full of diverse opportunities waiting to be explored. Best wishes in whatever you decide to do.” A total of 761 candidates— 545 men and 216 women have cleared the test, conducted annually to select the country’s bureaucrats, diplomats and police officers, among other civil servants.

Bihar’s Shubham Kumar and Madhya Pradesh’s Jagrati Awasthi have achieved the first and second ranks respectively in the coveted civil services examination, results of which were announced on September 24 by the UPSC.