https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

A Lone Journey To Regain Self-Respect 

Indian Masterminds Stories

Komal Ganatra’s UPSC journey is a journey of self-discovery, self-respect and pride of every young and innocent girl who marries and tries her best to settle down in her new family but gets cheated and abused instead. Since childhood, most of these girls are groomed to get married, manage house, and take care of the family, and advised to put everything else, including studies and career, on a backseat. 

Komal Ganatra, too, grew up believing her priority in life is getting married into a good household, until she was jolted back to reality by her husband abandoning her and she realised that she was cheated. 

However, unlike most, she chose to chase her career instead of chasing her husband. She focused on rebuilding her self-respect and pride instead of trying to mend a broken marriage. She made UPSC her goal, cleared it, and today she is an administrative officer in the Ministry of Defence. 

Today, Indian Masterminds takes a look at her inspirational journey till here – a journey filled with hard work, self-confidence and steely determination to build a life for herself on her own. 

FIGHT FOR IDENTITY 

Ms. Ganatra had graduated in three subjects (English, Sanskrit and Hindi) and had also done her engineering from distance. Her father was a teacher who always supported her and taught her to be ambitious. She grew up with two younger brothers. After completing her studies, she started preparing for competitive exams while working as a teacher. 

She cleared the mains exam for Gujarat civil services but got married to an NRI soon after. She was happy and in love with her husband, looking forward to a new life when suddenly her seemingly-fairy tale world came crashing down on her. Just 15 days after the wedding, her husband left for New Zealand and never came back. 

Komal Ganatra with her family

This sudden desertion left her in shock. She even tried to go to New Zealand to look for her husband and tried for a visa. While doing all this, she realized that one can’t be brought back forcefully. Echoing that thought, she had said in a video conversation: “I asked myself if following somebody is the only purpose of my life. The answer was no. I left my GPCS interview because my husband didn’t want that. But that was the time to focus on my career. Everybody had different suggestions for me, but I had decided to first build my career.”

She decided to appear for UPSC to make a career for herself. It was not just about clearing the exam and becoming a civil services officer, but it was also her fight to get her identity and self-respect back. 

DON’T FOLLOW ANYBODY

It was not easy to start the preparation. Ms. Ganatra didn’t have any financial support. She took up a government job of teaching and shifted to a small village which was 40 km away from her parent’s home. “There was no internet connection and no English newspapers were available. I was away from the competition world and was preparing in peace and silence. I never took off from the school, and on every Saturday and Sunday, travelled to Ahmedabad for coaching. This continued till I cleared my exam”, said Ms. Ganatra. 

After continuous effort for four years, she finally cleared the exam in her fifth attempt. She gave the exam in Gujarati medium and was the topper of Gujarati literature in UPSC CSE 2012. 

COURTING SUCCESS

The officer firmly believes in charting out one’s own path and following it to reach one’s goals. She strongly advocates against following anybody blindly with the hope of having a successful life. She went after what she wanted the most and achieved it in style. She did not let a bad marriage and sudden adversity pull her down. Neither did she indulge in self-pity. Instead, she emerged stronger, focused on building her life on her own, and cleared India’s toughest exam to become a civil services officer. 

She remarried and got second time lucky as she found a supportive and loving husband. Today, Komal Ganatra is a successful officer, a successful wife, and a successful mother. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Bihar Elections 2025: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Addresses 5 Key Issues - SIR, Fake Voting, Freebies & More
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
NTPC_Tapovan Donates_Ambulance_
NTPC Hands Over ₹30 Lakh Advanced Life Support Ambulance to Chamoli District Hospital to Boost Emergency Healthcare
NTPC_Barauni_signed_agreement_
NTPC Barauni to Install 89 High-Mast Lights Across Begusarai to Boost Safety and Community Development
BPCL_bags_Excellence_Awards_
BPCL Wins Top Honours for City Gas Distribution and Customer Service at 19th PNGRB Foundation Day
Allahabad high court
SC Collegium Approves Appointment of Vinai Kumar Dwivedi as Judge of Allahabad High Court
JK Cement Health Camp Panna
Free Health Camp Organised for Forest Personnel During Wildlife Week 2025 by South Panna Forest Division
REC Mobile Medical Units
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav Flags Off REC’s ₹5.71 Cr Mobile Medical Units to Boost Rural Healthcare in Rajasthan
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Discover how IDES officer Saquib Alam left his corporate job at Mahindra, overcame six UPSC attempts,...
Utkarsh Ujjwal IAS
IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal Shares Key Advice for UPSC Aspirants: Work Ethic, Failure, and Focus
Read the inspiring journey of IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal, 2023 batch, Gujarat cadre. From IIT Guwahati to clearing...
Sagar Datta Majumdar UPSC CSE 2024 AIR 317
“Don’t get trapped in the vicious cycle of self-doubt,” says UPSC Achiever Sagar Datta Majumdar
Discover how Sagar Datta Majumdar from Agartala, Tripura, cracked UPSC CSE 2024 with All India Rank 317....
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Bihar Elections 2025: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Addresses 5 Key Issues - SIR, Fake Voting, Freebies & More
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT