It takes a lot of effort and focus to clear UPSC Civil Services Examination. While some clear the exam in their very first attempt, others do so in their third or fourth attempt. Many come forward to share their success mantras but very few share the mistakes they made during the preparation and in the exams. One of them is Nirja Shah who bagged AIR 213 in her third attempt. In an exclusive interview to Indian Masterminds, Nirja talks about the three mistakes of her UPSC journey.
THE THREE ATTEMPTS
Nirja Shah hails from Mumbai but because of her education and work, she lived in Gujarat and Delhi as well. She completed her BA LLB (integrated) from Gujarat National Law University in the year 2018. After completing her graduation, Nirja worked for a year as a LAMP fellow, which allows young graduates to work with a Member of Parliament for a year.
Nirja cracked CSE in her third attempt. In her first two attempts, she couldn’t clear the prelims exam. “After my second attempt, I decided to focus seriously on my preparation as it is a very difficult exam and requires all your energy,” she said.
THE THREE MISTAKES
“When I was an aspirant, I felt that every single person who has cleared UPSC has done nothing except study for 17 hours a day, and if I don’t do that, I will never clear the examination,” Nirja said. According to her, there is a lot of hype around hours required .for UPSC rather than effort. People assume that someone cannot achieve this goal without following the same study pattern and effort as someone else.
Nirja believes that the journey which is full of mistakes is a journey which is more fruitful because that’s when we are growing and learning. “For me it was a process of self-reflection throughout the examination process, which I appreciate more than the outcome,” she said.
The first mistake that Nirja made during her UPSC journey was not taking her exam seriously. “Things are difficult to achieve because they require your full effort. In my first two attempts, I didn’t take my exams seriously. However, in my third attempt, I realised that I have taken up a big thing and I must give it my full effort,” said Nirja. That’s when she pulled up her socks and focussed on a good plan to crack the exam.
Her second mistake was not asking for help. According to Nirja, she was apprehensive to reach out to people who were preparing for UPSC because of the competitive nature of the exam. “I enjoyed the process of mains exam because I was able to make many friends and spoke to so many people who made me see both my flaws and strength,” she said. They were the core reason behind her success, she feels.
Her third mistake was not knowing herself. “In school, I never had any pressure from my parents. After my school, I was looking for a prestigious career, so I went to Law College. However, when I was there, I realised that this is not the right career for me,” said Nirja. After realising that, she decided to start preparing for UPSC examination. “During the process of knowing yourself, you end up making a right decision for yourself,” she added.
She further said that the three mistakes that she mentioned are broad ones that can apply to any part of one’s life.
FAMILY SUPPORT
Nirja comes from a background which has no link to civil services. “I was at home for two years for my preparation and my parents patiently explained to all family members and relatives that I was doing something which takes time and effort,” she said.
Along with her parents’ support, her sister was also with her throughout the journey. “She didn’t allow me to relax when I was being lazy and she gave me comfort when I felt low. In fact, she adjusted her life around me and sacrificed everything for my preparation,” said Nirja.
Nirja Shah got engaged during her UPSC preparation. She says that for a woman it is not easy to expect support from in-laws for this kind of career where one has to travel a lot. “But my in-laws and my fiancée didn’t question me about my career choice, instead they were very supportive and didn’t put any kind of pressure on me,” she said.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS
Nirja said that her interview round was a great experience. “It felt like a conversation with learned elders who are trying to know about you as a person.” She was asked in a detailed manner about law which is her educational background. There were also few questions on the economy, current affairs and LAMP fellowship.
Some questions that were asked are: Why is the stock market improving while the economy is going down? Why there is so much government litigation and what we can do to improve it? How Supreme Court can get more consistency in the orders they pass?
The board also asked her about the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB).
OPTIONAL SUBJECT
Nirja’s optional subject was Law, and she chose it because it was her educational background. “I couldn’t manage to do well in my optional subject, but it helped me a lot in my interview round and general studies paper 2,” she said.
She advices all aspirants to choose optional subject based on their interests.
MESSAGE TO ASPIRANTS
Nirja ended on a positive note. She said that civil service is not the only option to choose in life. The world is a big beautiful place and one can find end number of opportunities. “There are many people I know who have left their UPSC preparation and are doing so well in life. This is not the only option,” she summed up.
