Dr Apala Mishra was content with life, having completed graduation in dental sciences from Army College of Dental Sciences, Hyderabad. She would have easily pursued a career as a dentist and settled in life, but the family legacy weighed on her to achieve what only a few can – clear the most difficult exams of the country, in which a person getting just 52 per cent marks becomes the topper.
Discipline and literature are the keywords in Apala’s life as her father Amitabh Mishra is a retired Colonel in the Army and elder brother Arik is a Major. Mother Dr. Alpana Mishra is a Professor in the Faculty of Hindi at Delhi University and her grandfather, Hazari Prasad Dwivedi, was a legendary Hindi litterateur. “My background served as a source of inspiration for me. It is such a rich legacy and it’s very difficult to match it”, she said.
Dr. Apala Mishra, who lives in Ghaziabad’s Vasundhara Sector-5, is originally from the Old Post Office Civil Line of Basti. She did her schooling at Ann Marie School, Dehradun, before joining Army Dental College for graduation. Dr. Apala started preparing for the UPSC exam in 2018. She sets a real example of a hard worker. She wants to become an IAS officer.
THE SUCCESS MANTRA
Apala Mishra said that in 2018, she focused on understanding the exam and the syllabus as well as her strengths and weaknesses, since the syllabus was different from her educational background.
After that, she made a schedule of 7-8 hours of daily studies. The UPSC topper took coaching classes in her initial days but, thereafter, she started self-study as she believes that coaching centers can guide you, but at the end of the day, you must study yourself.
WHY CIVIL SERVICES?
Dr. Apala Mishra wasn’t satisfied with being a dentist after looking at the ramshackle healthcare system in India. She wanted to make changes to make it better. “I took a careful look at our country’s healthcare system and realised it requires more attention. This thought inspired me to pursue a career in the civil service in order to make a greater impact in society”, she said.
The UPSC topper believes that she should do something to bring big, positive changes. In 2018, she decided to prepare for the civil services exam to serve the nation.
THE SCORE
Without hard work and dedication in one’s work, one can’t achieve success. Candidates need to grow out of failures to spread their wings to succeed. Literature is in her genes and that’s why Apala loves to write poems. She does not touch alcohol and follows a vegetarian diet. She usually spends her time on books.
TIPS FOR ASPIRANTS
Exams like UPSC CSE can take a mental toll on anyone and it is very essential for aspirants to take care of themselves. It is important to make yourself a priority while chasing your goal. And, last but not the least, there has to be a backup plan.
