When a farmer’s daughter cleared the prestigious Union Public Service Commission-conducted Civil Services Examination, the joys of the family, the neigbours, in fact the entire village knew no bounds. To enter Civil Services is a dream for many, but only a select few actually achieve it. While some achieve it in the first attempt itself, some take more time to crack it.
The story of the farmer’s daughter who cleared UPSC, falls in the secod category. Her name is Samandip Kaur and she is the daughter of a farmer from Punjab. She cleared the UPSC CSE examination in her second attempt and brought laurels to her family and village.
EARLY LIFE
Hailing from the village of Daad in Ludhiana, Samandip completed her schooling at RS Model Senior Secondary School. She completed her graduation from Government College for Girls. She is a certified Chartered Accountant and, before pursuing UPSC, she worked as a CA in a reputed firm for about six months.
However, not even her cushy job as a chartered accountant could satisfy her heart. She started getting inclined towards UPSC and left her job.
CLEARED IN SECOND ATTEMPT
Samandip started preparing for CSE for the first time in the year 2015. She chose commerce and accountancy as her optional subjects in the exam.
However, she could not reach the Mains in her first attempt. She did not lose heart and decided to take a gap year and begin with her preparation again. She studied religiously for an entire year without taking any coaching. She read study material and her previous notes, and took help from the internet as well.
While talking about her preparation, she remarked, “You do not need to be extraordinary or 90 percentiles to avail the opportunity. I have studied from the state board and studied books in Punjabi. Your awareness and curiosity to know things matter the most. Conceptual clarity and patience are required to achieve success.”
Samandip gave the exam a second time in 2017 and finally achieved her dream of clearing UPSC when UPSC CSE results in 2018 were declared. She scored an All India Rank of 286 in the examination and made her family proud!
WILL TRY AGAIN
Talking about her rank that year, Samandip had said that she would prepare to get a better rank next year.
“Though I am happy to clear the exam, I am not very satisfied with my performance. I will appear in UPSC next year again to get into IAS.”
She added that she would happily join any post with her current rank, as her aim is to serve society anyhow.
HER FAMILY IS HER PILLAR
Samandip Kaur is the daughter of a farmer and her mother is a homemaker. Her parents have always supported her in every decision that she takes.
Samandip said in an interview, “As I come from a village background, I always wanted to connect with people on the grassroots level. In my village, the awareness of civil services and government jobs is quite low. My father always believed in me that one day I will make him proud. I tried to maintain consistency in my preparation. The process is long as it takes years to clear the exam. I was regular, though I never studied for late hours. I just followed my schedule.”
Samandip’s father said, “Mai thoda kam padta likha hua hun. Boht sangharsh kiya hai (I have studied less and have struggled hard). I used to pick and drop her in winter. I supported her in whichever way possible.”
Likewise, Samandip gives all credit of her achievement to her parents who were the supporting pillars throughout her journey.
