We all know the tension and stress of those preparing for the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) exams also known as “mother of all exams” are real. The voyage of preparation for UPSC aspirants is nothing short of a roller coaster ride.
Civil services are considered a dream job for many, candidates with diverse backgrounds work really hard to make it happen. The number of applicants appearing in the Civil Services Exam of India has more than doubled in the last few years.
The Civil services examination is held annually by the UPSC in three stages- preliminary, main, and interview. UPSC Civil Services Exam paves the way for becoming an IAS, IPS, IFS, IRS officer.
Let’s go through few inspirational stories of utterly remarkable UPSC toppers
1) A mother who held the 2nd rank
Anu Kumari was the 2nd rank holder in 2017 and a mother of 4 years old. Despite having an MBA and Finance and securing a good job she chooses to be an IAS officer. She came from a place where neither English newspapers nor coaching centers were available.
She along with maintaining her life as a homemaker and an IAS aspirant at 31 years of age, was able to crack the exams in her second attempt.
2) The one with hearing and speech impairment
For D Ranjith who had a disadvantage of hearing and speech impairment was a task to find a job or coaching centers that helped special people like him. Therefore, he learned lip-reading from his mother to understand what was taught in a coaching class.
After which it only took him one attempt to clear this exam. He scored a rank of 750 and today stands proud and encourages disabled students.
3) The one who returned home to serve his nation
Abhishek Surana, who grew up in Bhilwara, Rajasthan was a boy who was inclined towards social cause from an early age. He did his schooling at IIT Delhi after which he got a high-paying corporate job in Singapore. But this wasn’t the job he wished for, he said, “It was too comfortable for me.”
Also, he missed doing something for his nation for his society. After which he came back to India to serve his nation. At his fourth attempt, he achieved what he truly wanted to become an IAS officer.
4)The one who turned his loss into an inspiration
Divyanshu Nigam who lost his father due to COVID-19 turned his loss into inspiration with a rank of 44. He shared that he couldn’t help but stop his preparations during the hard times however, two months later, after his father’s death he appeared for the UPSC exam.
This year, which was his third attempt he managed to clear the interview. Now, he aspires to work in the healthcare sector to help save lives.
5) The one with a life-altering circumstance
Pooja Kadam, who dreams of helping rural Indian women by uplifting them, lost 75 percent of her vision during her college days due to some conditions.
But this did not stop her in fact motivated her to work even harder to cope with its challenges. She said, “I was cursing fate and was depressed, but changed my outlook through Yoga. I then decided to put in all my might to achieve my goal,”.
Finally, due to her dedication and hard work she was able to crack the exam on her fifth attempt and was able to score a rank of 577.
She also became the first woman from Ausa taluka of Pune to clear the UPSC exam.
So, the UPSC can clearly be termed as the mother of all exams with all the hardships it comes with. Surely dedication, hard work, and focus are the key elements of it.
Aren’t these stories inspiring with a feel-good factor? What I learned from them is that no matter whatever be the circumstances and problems be, hard work and dedication with the focus always help to pave your way through. Patience is always necessary to keep trying to keep attempting.
The journey isn’t special enough if it gets comfortable. What did you learn from these stories? Tell us your story if you’re one among such aspirants.
