May 2023 proved to be one of the happiest months in the lives of BSF jawan Roman Singh Yadav and his wife Sunita Yadav, as both their children brought good news and made them very proud, that too within a gap of just 10 days! Their daughter, Sugam Yadav, cleared the SSC CGL examination, the results of which were announced on 10th May 2023, and their son, Shivam Yadav, cracked UPSC CSE 2022 with AIR-21, and will soon become an IAS officer!
Indian Masterminds spoke with Shivam to know about his inspiring UPSC journey.
EARLY DAYS’ INFLUENCE
The nuclear family, originally from Madhya Pradesh, had to relocate frequently due to the father’s work in various areas, like Jammu & Kashmir, Tripura. etc. But, after they moved to Gwalior and the children began attending reputed schools, their father made the decision to settle them down there till they finished school.
Shivam, 22, graduated from Jiwaji University in Gwalior in the same year that he took the UPSC exam – 2022. One of the year’s youngest candidates, Shivam’s childhood dream was to become an IAS officer and make a difference in society.
He applied to UPSC immediately after graduating in 2022, and with only a few months of preparation, he not only passed CSE but also secured AIR-21 on his first attempt!
POWER OF SELF-STUDY
Shivam did not seek coaching and prepared for the exam on his own. He got his notes and source materials from YouTube and Google.
“I watched previous year’s toppers’ interviews, day and night. I heard and observed each and every word they said and devised my strategy accordingly,” Shivam told Indian Masterminds.
He chose Political Science and International Relations as his optional subject as it was new to him and intrigued him considerably.
SECRET OF HIGH INTERVIEW SCORE
Shivam describes himself as a confident person. He has never had a problem socialising or interacting with new people. He believes that his confidence and the fact that he was asked all of the questions he knew the answers to, are the reasons for his high interview score (195).
Shivam recalls visiting the UPSC building and museum the day before his interview and learning about the BSF’s role in the 1971 war. A day later, he was asked the same thing!
“I was ecstatic to hear the question because I had just seen, observed, and read everything about it in the UPSC museum. My response and reference to it impressed the panel,” he shared happily.
The board also questioned him on environmental conservation. Shivam wittily pointed to the plastic water bottles on their tables and conveyed his intention to replace them with reusable bottles, which astounded the jurors.
COMPARES MOM TO NORTH STAR
Everything Shivam is today is because of his education, which he considers to be one of the most vital components of society. He wishes to serve as an IAS officer in that capacity.
“My mother is my North Star. She plays a very important role in my life. I would also want to work for women empowerment in society. I wish to become an agent of change for the downtrodden lives,” he told Indian Masterminds.
Both his parents are on cloud nine these days, and understandably so!
