The path to success is often unchartered, where each individual faces unique situations, challenges, and opportunities. The true story of Anu Kumari, who scored 2nd rank in UPSC in 2017, is a case in point. It flies in the face of unconventional wisdom and financial prudence exercised by most middle-class families. And in the process, the age-old assumption about ideal parenting also gets turned on its head. In many ways, Anu Kumari’s story is both unique and inspiring. At the same time, one gets the nagging feeling that most people actually go through these situations in various phases of their lives. But unlike Anu, they lack the courage and conviction to maneuver these situations to their advantage.
Early Days
Hailing from Haryana’s Sonipat town, on the outskirts of Delhi, challenges, and opportunities would often come to Anu Kumari in a pair. And that too from an early age. She got admission in Delhi’s Hindu College in North Campus, one of the most prestigious academic institutes of India. But every day, she had to commute for 90 km in local trains to attend the classes. “The commuting part was tough, would take a toll on my energy levels. But I used to travel with my friends, so it took away some of the pain. Also, there was a lot of gap between different classes, say one starting at 9 a.m. and the other at 2 p.m. Those were not easy days,’’ she told Indian MasterMinds.
Anu Kumari comes from a typical middle class family. And like many such households, most of their time is spent on making the two ends meet. While her father Baljit Singh worked in a Hospital’s HR department, her mother ran a buffalo shed to augment the family earnings.
Money, therefore, was important to Baljit Singh. But it wasn’t important enough to come in the way of his daughter’s ambition to become a civil servant.
Says Anu, “I scored 89% in class 10 and 91% in class 12 with Mathematics and Biology subjects combined. I was fond of dancing and painting and also participated in extracurricular activities in school.” Securing admission in the Hindu College, which is rather well known for churning out a large number of bureaucrats, also helped her in gaining confidence. But the real challenges were still a few years away.
FOCUSING ON PRIORITIES
Anu Kumari completed her graduation in 2006, with an aim to pursue higher studies. She said, “I appeared for college placement in Hansraj college as not many firms used to come for placement in Hindu college back then. I was selected in the placement and got an offer from Wipro, however, I had plans of pursuing an MBA.” That is when she secured admission for MBA (Finance) course in IMT Nagpur. As IMT Nagpur is a boarding For the first time, she had to move away from her home.
Soon after completing her masters in 2008, she grabbed a college placement in ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund which was based in Mumbai. She worked there for more than two years. In 2012, she shifted to Gurugram and then got married. She carried on with the private job for nine years and became a mother to her child Viaan.
In 2016 when the result of the UPSC 2015 civil services exam was announced, Tina Dabi topped the exam in her very first attempt. Things took a different direction from this point. Anu’s younger brother sensed the true potential of Anu, and without even telling her enrolled her for UPSC 2016 prelim exams! Then he asked Anu to quit her job and start preparing for civil services. It’s said that if one proceeds with honest intention, help comes from unexpected quarters. This happened with Anu too, after her UPSC form was filled, when her uncle offered her financial assistance till she appeared in the exam. Needless to say, these developments infused a fresh dose of confidence in Anu. As she said, “I called my father straight away after quitting the well paying job and told him that I was appearing for civil services. He immediately supported my decision.”
Tackling The Toddler
Quitting the job was the first step towards UPSC. The second, and much bigger, was to find a way to handle her 30-month-old son Viaan, as she needed a lot of uninterrupted time for studies. She realized that the time she was spending with her son was affecting her preparations. So, before appearing for the prelims exam, she shifted to her maternal aunt’s place which was about 20 kilometers away from her mother’s place. And Viaan stayed with Anu’s mother.
This might look a strange arrangement but was necessary if Anu was to do well in the prelims. She did not succeed in her first attempt. But instead of discouraging her, the failure made her all the more determined for the second stab at UPSC.
Anu started preparing for the prelims with real earnest. The mother did not meet the son on a daily basis and this, as she says looking back, was a huge sacrifice to make. Anu’s mother used to take Viaan to meet her as both of them used to miss eachother a lot. “These meetings used to be quite an emotional affair for me and Viaan,’’ she said.
The Big Break
And then came the big break, the result of several years of hard work, the struggles and remaining away from her young son for a prolonged period. In 2017 UPSC, Anu Kumari secured the second rank! It was a watershed movement not only for Anu but for a whole lot of people who supported her all these years.
She is now undergoing her phase two online training and is waiting for her first independent posting as a Sub-Collector.
Anu Kumari’s story is an inspiration to millions of UPSC aspirants. It’s also a reminder of how important it is to keep a positive attitude even when circumstances seem to be going against you.
