UPSC scorer Mr. Ankush Kothari’s story is not of a small town boy wishing to join civil services to eradicate poverty, but of a person who was already doing well for himself but still wanted to become an IAS officer to help his country and its people.
AN IIT ALUMNUS
Hailing from Udaipur, Rajasthan, Mr. Kothari’s parents were separated from a young age and he was raised solely by his mother, Dr. Prakash Lata Kothari. His mother, principal of a private school, kept him away from distractions, as much as was possible. He studied in a good school and always scored well in class. Out of school, he landed straight in an engineering college that too India’s most prestigious institution – the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kanpur.
“Aspirants usually go to places like Kota to study for their entrance exam but I did not. I stayed at home and prepared religiously as I really wished to get into IIT and complete my graduation,” says Mr. Kothari.
He passed the examination with flying colors and thus, began his graduation. After completing his B.Tech from IIT-K in 2016, Mr. Kothari enrolled in his internship during the final years of graduation. He interned with the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Govt. of India.
MOTIVATION TO GET INTO CIVIL SERVICE
It was during his internship, that he had to report to a Joint secretary-level IAS officer who also assigned him work and indirectly inspired him to get into civil services.
“I was fascinated with the idea of how an IAS officer carries the authority to bring a change in society with his actions and responsibilities. It motivated me to be a Civil Servant and work for the nation and its development,” he stated in an interview.
LEFT A WELL PAYING JOB TO ENTER CIVIL SERVICES
After completing his internship, Mr. Kothari was offered a well-paying job in a big multi-national company. His annual package was Rs. 19 Lac per annum. But he decided to become an IAS officer and thus spurned the offer.
“I had the dream of becoming a Civil Servant at the back of my head all through my graduation hence, I chose to prepare for UPSC Civil Services instead of taking up a well-paid corporate job” stated Mr. Kothari
PREPARATION FOR THE EXAM
The officer was in the habit of reading newspapers from a young age, which helped him in the long run as he kept himself updated with the latest news and current events happening around the world. He maintained a diary of all important events and questions that he encountered during his preparation.
Mr. Kothari never took any coaching to prepare for the exam, stating, “I believe that coaching institutes just play a guiding part and the key to success is the right strategy and self-study. It is necessary that aspirants create their own strategy and goals rather than blindly following any topper or coaching institute.”
He appeared for the civil services exam thrice before finally clearing it in 2019 with AIR-429.
HIS MOTHER IS HIS ROLE MODEL
Being a single mother and facing financial crunches at multiple times in her life also did not stop the officer’s mother from fulfilling her son’s desires. She managed to recover and bring balance in their life.
Mr. Kothari considers his mother a role model and credits his entire success to her saying, “Her spirit really inspires me a lot. She always accompanied me to my mains and interview center and would wait outside for the entire duration of the paper to encourage me and provide the needed emotional support.”
He believes that the most important part while preparing for the exam is to ‘Believe in oneself’. Both Success and failure are a part of life and one should not feel demotivated during the times of failure. The next important thing is to give your 100% in your preparation.
