In the narrow lanes of Bhodwal Majri, a small village tucked away in Haryana’s Panipat district, celebrations broke out on April 22nd. Firecrackers cracked, sweets were distributed, and proud villagers gathered to honour one of their own — Shivani Panchal, who had just secured All India Rank 53 in the UPSC Civil Services Examination 2024.
But for Shivani, it wasn’t just about the rank. It was about a quiet promise made to her mother, a woman who raised two children alone after her husband died in a road accident when Shivani was just four years old.
In an exclusive conversation withIndian Masterminds,Shivani shared her journey from an HCS officer to an IAS!
A CHILDHOOD MARKED BY LOSS, RAISED BY GRIT
In 2005, tragedy struck the Panchal family. Shivani’s father, Dilbag, lost his life in a sudden road accident. At that time, Shivani was too young to fully understand what death meant, but she did understand one thing: her home had changed forever. Her mother, Savita, stepped in as both mother and father, working as an Anganwadi worker to make ends meet.
“She never let us feel we lacked anything. We didn’t have luxuries, but we had strength, and she gave it to us,” Shivani recalls.
With her younger brother now pursuing MBBS, Savita’s small government job built more than just a roof over their heads; it built dreams, slowly and steadily.
FROM A VILLAGE SCHOOL TO NIT KURUKSHETRA
Shivani’s early education was at Chandan Bal Vikas Public School in her village. She was a bright student, but her ambitions were bigger than her surroundings. She went on to study Civil Engineering at NIT Kurukshetra, defying both geography and expectations.
After graduation, she entered the corporate sector like many of her peers, but something didn’t sit right.
“Working in a private company made me realise that I wasn’t doing what I truly wanted,” she says. “The dream of becoming a civil servant, which had been in the background since childhood, suddenly came into focus.”
NO COACHING, NO SHORTCUTS, NO EXCUSES
Unlike many others, Shivani didn’t attend any big-name coaching institute. She didn’t move to Delhi, nor did she flood her desk with endless materials.
Instead, she crafted her method: focused, minimal, and deeply consistent.
“I used limited resources, stuck to the static portion, and revised again and again. Previous year questions were my best friends,” she shared with Indian Masterminds.
Her optional subject was Sociology, not just because it was scoring but because it helped her understand the very fabric of the society she wanted to serve.
BALANCING TWO ROLES: HCS OFFICER AND UPSC ASPIRANT
By the time UPSC 2024 came around, Shivani had already cleared the Haryana Civil Services (HCS) and was in training at Gurugram, working with the Deputy Commissioner of Jhajjar.
“I didn’t quit. I balanced both,” she says. “During training, I studied in the mornings and evenings. Weekends were fully dedicated to UPSC. It wasn’t glamorous, but it worked.”
The mental toll, though, was real. “The preparation phase is lonely. You question yourself often. The hardest part was keeping my mental health in check.”
THE INTERVIEW THAT FELT LIKE A CONVERSATION
When Shivani entered the UPSC interview room, she expected a barrage of questions on General Studies. Instead, the panel focused on her core subject, civil engineering.
“They asked how we can protect the environment while building infrastructure. It was challenging but exciting. Finally, I could talk about something I really knew,” she says.
SHE WATCHED NETFLIX. A LOT. AND THAT’S OKAY.
Not every hour was about reading. Shivani’s guilty pleasure during her prep days? “Netflix,” she grins. “It helped me survive the pressure. Sometimes I needed a break from being serious all the time.”
WHAT’S NEXT FOR SHIVANI PANCHAL?
With IAS as her top choice, Shivani is now focused on the next chapter, one that will take her from Bhodwal Majri to India’s administrative corridors.
“I don’t want to make big claims,” she says. “All I know is I’ll do my duty with honesty. My mother gave me everything she could. Now it’s my turn to give back – to her and to the people.”
FOR EVERY GIRL SITTING IN A SMALL VILLAGE WITH A BIG DREAM…
Shivani’s story is not built on privilege. It’s built on pain, patience, and persistence. No coaching institute, no shortcut, no fancy city address. Just a girl, her books, and her mother — quietly building a future.
“Have faith in yourself. Stay healthy. Focus on PYQs and practice. That’s all it takes,” she says to aspirants still in the race.
And somewhere in Bhodwal Majri, a mother stands in her modest Anganwadi centre, quietly smiling, because the world has just recognised the girl she raised on courage alone.
