Feelings of despair or pessimism grip a person who fail after coming very close to success more, than an unsuccessful person. There are times when one misses being a winner or a topper by a whisker which hits you hard! The story of UPSC topper Utkarsh Dwivedi is similar. The only difference is, he had people around to support him.
Utkarsh Dwivedi got AIR-5 in UPSC CSE-2021 and his UPSC success story is a lesson to all to never lose hope and keep trying till success is theirs.
Talking exclusively to Indian Masterminds, Utkarsh said that his journey was not very difficult but not very easy either. Read the full story to know why he uttered these words.
THIRD TIME LUCKY
He saw success only in his third attempt,but Utkarsh had been reaching the interview stage from his very first attempt. “I gave interview in 2019 but missed out by 23 marks. I gave an interview in 2020 but missed out by 11 marks. But this time luck favoured me, and my hard work bore fruits, and I got through with AIR 5! So, obviously, I am on cloud 9.”
CHILDHOOD
In his childhood, Utkarsh used to visit his maternal grandparents where he used to see the District Magistrate. His maternal grandmother used to tell him to become such a big officer in future. Since then, Utkarsh had decided that he would become one when he grows up.
BEGINNING
He originally hails from the holy city Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh. His father works in the private sector and mother is homemaker. He completed his 12th from DPS Indore. He did his graduation (B.Tech.) in Mechanical Engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology in 2018. After graduation, he immediately started preparing for Civil Services and after a year, made his first attempt in 2019.
PREPARATION
In the beginning of his UPSC journey, he took coching for GS and Optional subject for one year in Delhi. His optional subject was Political Science and International Relations (PSIR).
He told Indian Masterminds, “After doing coaching, I didn’t have any strategy for what and how to do. But I always focussed on solving papers. In all my three attempts, one strategy was permanent for me – I solved previous year’s papers as much as I could. Be it pre or mains, I relied on mock test papers a lot and solved them.”
For interview also, he relied on mocks. “I believe in practice more than reading. I did not read many books. My whole preparation was dependent on test papers. And that helped me lot.”
OPTIONAL SUBJECT
His optional subject was Political Science and International Relations (PSIR), a subject UPSC fraternity considers the most dynamic of all. Every year, PSIR syllabus changes. Utkarsh agrees with it. So, how did he prepare for this? “I did nothing different. As I said, I reached interview round every time. So, I never got a chance to sit down and prepare with ease. Every year, I had to give pre, main and interview. So, I always had a tough routine. I read Shubhra Ranjan’s notes and prepared digital notes by myself using lots of photos, as there is lot of dates and facts in PSIR. With photos, it was easy to learn. I also studied toppers’ copies to learn how they wrote their answers for PSIR and tried to write like that.”
INTERVIEW ROUND
As Utkarsh qualified for interview in his all three attempts, he had much experience for this round of UPSC.
He said, “My marks were consistent in all three attempts. First time, I got 160, then 157, followed by 165 in third attempt. This time I got a better rank because of mains. I got 871 in main.But, yes, this time I was more satisfied with they way the interview went,and I was expecting at least 185 marks. So, I am not able to figure out where I went wrong.Anyway,this is how UPSC shows you the mirror. Now that I got AIR 5, it’s feels good!”
IMPACT OF COVID
Covid impacted Utkarsh’s UPSC journey too like many others. He said, “When Covid came in 2020, my first interview was scheduled on 23rd March which got postponed to July 2020. There was much uncertainty at that time. We could not figure out what to do. Should we start preparing for pre or should we prepared for the interview, as dates were getting postponed. So, I thought that whatever comes earlier, I will go with that. Uncertainty is a part of life. It will come often. The important thing is not to get distracted.”
ONLINE STUDY AND SOCIAL MEDIA
On being asked about online study, he said, “Actually, I was not much into online study. My 90 percent preparation was offline only.I used to see some channels on Youtube like Rajya Sabha or The Print. So, I watched only informative channels for online study. But, then again, this should not be the primary source.”
On social media, he said, “Aspirants should be balanced in using social media. When my exam was round the corner, I did not use social media. But when there was no exam, I used it a little bit. But still, I would say, you should not be hyperactive on social media. Social media monitors you each second. So, your conduct and behaviour matter there. That is why I always say that you should be a viewer of social media, not a big user.”
AIM IN SERVICE
On his aim in service, Utkarsh said that since this country is very diverse,every district has its own challenges. So,his priority and challenges will depend on where he gets posted. But overall, he would like to work for the poor and downtrodden people who are not a part of modern development. “And for that, I am here, there are no other reasons.”
He added that he would prefer home cadre Uttar Pradesh.
MESSAGE FOR ASPIRANTS
Utkarsh had a message for all UPSC aspirants to never lose hope. Sometimes you will feel you are so close, yet still not get what you want. But be consistent in working towards your goal and you will arrive one day.
“I also failed two times in final selection, even lost hope last year in second attempt. But people around me gave me hope and courage, and suggested that I should go for that year’s prelims, because when result came for CSE-2020, only 15 or 20 days were left for CSE-2021 pre examination. I did not have the courage to go for pre in just 15 or 20 days after failing in second attempt. But, with the support of my near and dear ones, I could go ahead.”
So, having a strong support system helps to stay on track, like family and friends. It is also important to work hard in the right direction, he said. “When I say right direction, I wish to say, take suggestions from people who have already cleared this prestigious exam and follow those advises. And when the time is right, you will get through, like them.”
He also added one more small but important tip: To make a simple strategy and implement it honestly. “Don’t make things complicated.”
