https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Juggling UPSC and UPPCS, She Finally Became SDM

Sunishtha Singh cracked UPPCS with 16th rank in her 4th attempt She is currently undergoing training in Lucknow Her story is an example of how one should balance preparation of two difficult exams
Indian Masterminds Stories

The saying, ‘Never sail on two boats’, strangely did not apply in the case of Sunishtha Singh, who prepared for two difficult exams together – UPSC and UPPCS. While doing so, she exhibited unparalleled determination and resilience, and finally cracked the UPPCS exam, bringing an end to her seven-year journey of rigorous preparation.

No doubt she faced many setbacks and heartbreaks on the way. But, her willpower and perseverance eventually saw her through. Despite the daunting challenges posed by the demanding syllabi and competitive environment, her unwavering commitment propelled her towards success. Her remarkable achievement serves as an inspiration to aspirants navigating the complex landscape of civil service examinations, embodying the essence of perseverance and excellence.

Speaking exclusively to Indian Masterminds, Ms. Singh narrated her inspiring journey.

Sunishtha Singh

JOURNEY SO FAR

She started her preparation in 2016 after graduation, but gave her first attempt in 2019 due to age barrier. This was her first UPPCS attempt and she could not crack the prelims. In 2020, she did not give UPPCS as she was focusing on UPSC CSC. In UPPCS-2021, her second attempt, she cracked the mains and reached till the interview round, but could not make it to the final list. In UPPCS-2022, she failed again and could not crack even the prelims. In her 4th attempt in UPPCS-2023, she finally cracked the exam with rank 16 and is now going to become a SDM.

Meanwhile, simultaneously, she was walking on her UPSC journey as well. She gave a total of four attempts but could not clear the exams, despite writing two mains. In her first UPSC CSE attempt in 2019, she failed in the prelims. In her second attempt in 2020, she cracked prelims and wrote the mains, but could not crack it. In UPSC-2021, she failed again in prelims and in UPSC-2022, she failed in mains.

Looking back to that phase of her life, she said, “The guidance received at the beginning differed from what was provided after coming onto the stage. However, once the correct guidance was given and preparation resumed, the situation improved positively for me. That’s why from 2020, I always wrote mains or reached the interview.”

Sunishtha Singh being felicitated by UP Government

BACKGROUND

Ms. Singh originally hails from Kaiserganj in Bahraich district. Her father runs a medical shop there, while her mother is a homemaker. She has an elder sister and a younger brother. Her grandfather was a big motivational force behind her civil service journey.

She did her basic schooling till 12th in Hindi medium from her home district Bahraich. Then she moved to Lucknow for further studies and completed her graduation (B.Com) from IT College, Lucknow in 2016.

UPPCS PREPRATION

She adeptly juggled her UPSC and UPPCS preparation together, masterfully navigating the common syllabus while dedicating specialized time to the unique requirements of each exam. It’s true that balancing both preparations together demands a strategic approach, focusing on the overlapping syllabus while customizing study plans for the unique aspects of each exam, which she did.

Syllabus and PYQs were two important weapons for her in these exams. She did deep analysis of PYQs in each of her attempt, to understand the questions. Apart from that, she also focused on test series.
She said, “PCS prelims is a fact-based exam and cover current affairs in detail. So, one has to study hard in that way.”

She studied ‘Ghatna Chakra’ books for getting the gist or summary in less time, besides the standard books. In UPSC, her optional was Public Administration.

She said, “I never faced any problem to prepare for two exams at the same time. It’s just that you need to plan well. When optional was removed from UPPCS, I had to study UP Special differently, which I managed.”

INTERVIEW

Her interview was interesting. There were a lot of questions from her hobby – cooking. Apart from that, she was asked questions from various topics like Waste Management, Rainwater, Women Empowerment, India’s GDP, etc.

She was asked questions like: How would you cook roti? Make a slogan on Waste Management. How would you save water with better use? How would you empower women in your area?

A member also asked her, “What kind of waves come out in the kitchen and how will you use them?”

Another member asked, “What was the temperature of Prayagraj last night?” She had reached Prayagraj a day before the interview.

SUGGESTIONS

Giving suggestions for aspirants, she said, “Everything is doable. There is Internet now, which makes your preparation very easy if you use it rightly. You will also get toppers’ copies on Internet. Find and learn from these. And, don’t deviate from your goal, minimize your resources and study hard.”

FUTURE AIM

As she has two more UPSC CSE attempts left, she said, “I will certainly give UPSC after thorough preparation.”

And, as SDM, one of her top priorities would be women empowerment. She added, “Apart from that, I will try to reach every common man wherever I get posted and will try to implement government schemes in such a way that everyone is benefited.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
F-35 Dazzles Reno
India Clarifies Position on F-35: No Formal Fighter Jet Talks Held With US, Confirms Centre in Lok Sabha
HPCL_logo_HIndustan Petroleum
HPCL Signs MoU with IIM Jammu to Foster Academic and Leadership Collaboration
Indian_Army_
Boosting Battlefield Logistics: Indian Army Signs Rs 223 Crore Deal for Next-Gen Tank Transporter Trailers
Matri Van
Green Vision for NCR: Bhupender Yadav and Manohar Lal Inaugurate Theme-Based Urban Forest ‘Matri Van’ in Aravallis
Sajad Mufti Kashmir
Who Is Former IFS Officer Sajad Mufti? He Returns to Politics, Reconnecting with People
SP Goyal
Loyalty, Central Ties, Clean Image: How Senior IAS SP Goyal Rose to Become Uttar Pradesh's Chief Secretary?
Haryana gov resized
Haryana Govt Posts 9 Newly Trained IPS & 1 HPS Officer Across the State After Training Completion at SVPNPA, Hyderabad
Modi Varanasi
Varanasi Leads UP's Development March as PM Modi Unveils ₹2,200 Cr Projects, PM-KISAN Funds Released
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
How IAS Karn Satyarthi Transformed Gumla Through Empathy and Innovation
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
IRAS Ananth Rupanagudi’s Take on Corruption, Reform, and Duty
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
What Most Indians Don't Know About Jim Corbett
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
BPSC Bihar police
From Lantern Light to Police Uniform: How Praveen Kumar from a Small Bihar Village Cracked BPSC to Become SDPO
From a lantern-lit village in Bihar to becoming an SDPO, Praveen Kumar's journey is a testament to resilience,...
IAS Priyansha Garg
Why Mindset Matters: IAS Priyansha Garg’s Mental Health Mantra for UPSC
After two failed prelims, Priyansha Garg cracked UPSC with AIR 31 in her fourth attempt, proving how...
Ashish Akshat
From Setback to State Topper: How Ashish Akshat Topped JPSC While Working Full-Time
Ashish Akshat from Dhanbad topped JPSC 2023, proving that resilience, discipline, and family support...
Social Media
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve
Mudumalai Tiger Reserve: From India’s First Sanctuary to a Tiger Conservation Success Story | International Tiger Day Special
IAS Supriya Sahu Hails Mudumalai's Role in Tiger Conservation on Tiger Day. Declared in 1940, Now Among...
Mangroves
Mangroves: Nature’s Shield Against Disasters, Says Officer Parveen Kaswan on Mangroves Day - Watch His Post Here
Mangroves, with their dense, interlaced root systems, form a mesh-like structure that serves as a buffer...
Retired IPS Inderjit Singh Sidhu
Purpose Doesn’t Retire: How 88-Year-Old Retired DIG Becomes Chandigarh’s ‘Quiet Warrior’ of Cleanliness
Inderjit Singh Sidhu’s Dawn Patrol Earns Applause, Mahindra’s Praise for a Man Who Chose Action Over...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
F-35 Dazzles Reno
India Clarifies Position on F-35: No Formal Fighter Jet Talks Held With US, Confirms Centre in Lok Sabha
HPCL_logo_HIndustan Petroleum
HPCL Signs MoU with IIM Jammu to Foster Academic and Leadership Collaboration
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Karn Satyarthi
Ananth Rupanagudi IRAS
WhatsApp Image 2025-07-26 at 13.16
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT