No doubt UPSC CSE is one of the most difficult exams in our country, where even after giving 100%, there is a significant chance that you’ll still fail due to several factors. However, IAS officer Saumya Gururani is of the view that failing after preparing for this exam also counts as a success, because it is not the success but the failures in life that shape your personality and help you mature in life. The advantage of CSE preparation is that, along with life lessons, aspirants gain so much knowledge and awareness, which will help them succeed in life sooner or later.
Ms. Gururani, who is currently posted as Joint Magistrate in Prayagraj, UP, got the success she was looking for after three attempts in CSE. She secured a rank (AIR 30) that would get her into IAS in her fourth attempt in 2018. In 2016, she had secured AIR 148 and had joined IPS.
WHY UPSC CSE?
Hailing from Almora, Uttarakhand, Ms. Gururani did her schooling from her hometown and then went to College of Engineering, Roorkee. She got campus placement in Infosys but was not able to come to terms with spending her whole life in front of a system. So, after exploring several options, she quit the job to prepare for UPSC CSE.
While speaking on a media platform, she said, “UPSC CSE seemed a good option to me because it provides you a tremendous opportunity to serve the society. My parents also wanted me to go for this exam as I was a good student from the beginning.”
UNDERESTIMATED THE EXAM
Initially, she thought that it is not difficult to crack the exam or even get a good rank based on her earlier academic performances. In the first attempt, she reached till Mains and in the second attempt she couldn’t even clear the Prelims. These consecutive failures devastated her and pushed her towards self-doubts. At this point, her parents and friends came to her rescue and provided the mental and emotional support she needed.
“I had, maybe, underestimated the exam, so I pulled up my socks and was ready to give everything for it. Secondly, these failures made me strong and I felt more mature to deal with every situation,” said Ms. Gururani.
Finally, all her determination paid off and she became an IPS officer by securing the 148 rank in UPSC CSE 2016. Shortly after this, she got married, and while everything was going good for her, she felt the urge to try again to reach her ultimate goal, IAS.
MARRIAGE CAN’T OBSTRUCT SUCCESS
There is a common belief that life becomes different after marriage for a girl. It seems almost impossible to attempt for any exam with all the responsibilities that comes with marriage. However, Ms. Gururani believes otherwise. She thinks that if you are motivated enough to work hard, then nothing can obstruct success.
“I believe that a girl needs the support of family and spouse for excelling in her career. But, nothing is impossible even after marriage. I got the support from the family and felt that my motivation was in the right place. You can see that I performed my best after the wedding,” she said.
She advises every aspirant to follow their heart and give their 100% to the preparation without thinking about the result, because nothing ever goes wasted.
