https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Oracle Engineer Kiran PB Topped UPSC CSE 2021 Personality Test in His 5th and Last Attempt

32-year-old Kiran PB from Thiruvananthapuram cracked UPSC CSE while on a full-time job. He didn’t leave his job of a Principal Applications Engineer at Oracle to prepare for the exam. He credits his success to time management and a healthy work-personal life balance.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Success stories are always a hit because they inspire and make people believe in dreams. They drive home the message that dreams can come true through hard work and consistency. The success story of Kiran PB, who shares the 1st rank in interview in UPSC CSE 2021 with Ashutosh Kumar, will inspire all those working professionals who aspire for more but feel they don’t have the time to work on their dreams.

32-year-old Kiran was working as the Principal Applications Engineer at Oracle in Thiruvananthapuram for the last 10 years. He prepared for and cleared UPSC while doing his job.

Indian Masterminds spoke to Kiran PB to bring you his inspiring UPSC journey – a journey that he covered while on a full-time job.

BEGINNING

Kiran refuses to call his journey extraordinary. He says it was like any other working professional’s journey, who dreams of working for the country and the best way to achieve this goal was by clearing the UPSC exam.

He P B hails from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. He graduated in B.Tech Electronics and Communications from the Government Engineering College Thiruvananthapuram. Then he joined Oracle and worked there for 10 years till selection in UPSC CSE-2021. Unlike most UPSC aspirants, he did not quit his job for preparation for the exam. He continued his IT job and studied for UPSC in the mornings, evenings, during weekends, and whenever he got some free time.

UPSC PREPARATION

His UPSC journey started in all earnest in 2017. He gave his first attempt in 2017 without any proper strategy or study. In the next attempt in 2018, he did not even qualify for prelims, though his preparation was much better than the previous attempt. In 2019, he gave his third attempt and reached till the mains exam, but could not pass it. In his fourth attempt in 2020, he could not make it to even prelims. But, in his last and fifth attempt in 2021, he cleared all three stages of the exam to come out successful. And the cherry on the cake was that he topped the interview round! He shares this honour with another successful candidate, Ashutosh Kumar.

Kiran PB, UPSC CSE-2021, AIR 100 Kiran PB (Credit: Youtube)

Talking about his success, Kiran said, “I only read what was necessary and did not waste time doing research. For the mains, minimalistic reading from limited textbooks and practicing test series were the real game-changers for me.”

He also said that as he had a 9-6 job, it was very hectic for him but he always managed to put in some study time before 9 and after 6, and especially on weekends when there was no office. “I prioritise my things with smart work. I also did not go for many books, rather preferred on fundamental book for a subject.” Kiran believes that smart work is the key to success in UPSC, not just hard work.

His optional subject was Public Administration.

MISTAKES THAT HE DID

About the reasons for failing to clear the exam in his previous attempts, Kiran said, “I made a huge mistake in my first attempt by giving the exam without preparing. In the next attempt, I studied but did not do practice sessions for MCQs. So I could not adjust to the exam atmosphere. In my third attempt, I had done enough practice, studied a lot, had solved mock tests and MCQs, so I made it through prelims, but had not prepared enough for my optional and got very less marks in it. So, in my next attempt in 2020, I studied my optional subject more. But it was a Corona year and I was not 100 per cent fit. So, I could not crack this time either. But, in 2021, in my last attempt due to age, I learnt from my all my previous mistakes and made it to the final list.”

That is why he says that analyzing where we are going wrong is very important to attain success in life.

INTERVIEW ROUND

About getting the highest marks in the interview round, he said that his strategy comprised of two things, which are very basic – DAF (Detailed Apllication Form at the time of interview) analysis and Mock Interviews. He took out a print of his DAF and note down all the key words from it. Then, he prepared multiple dimensions of these key words. Apart from this, he gave a lot of mock interviews, which, he says, helped him a lot.

“My actual interview had both types of questions, expected and unexpected. As I came with 10 years experience in the corporate world, some questions from there were expected.”

Elaborating further on the questions asked, he said that the panelists asked him that since he came from the IT field and his optional was Public Administration, so were start-ups possible in Public Administration. He replied that it was possible and then they all discussed about it.

It’s important how you improvise on your knowledge during the interview and apply it to the question. We all have the requisite knowledge. It is just the question of presence of mind and staying calm in the process. Also, there is no need to answer all the questions. If you don’t know an answer, humbly say so. How well and calmly you handle the situation will give you the edge.”

Kiran PB (Credit: Youtube)

SUGGESTIONS

Kiran says that UPSC preparation is possible without leaving a job. But time management is important to have a healthy work-life balance.  He also says reading daily newspapers, following TV news channels are important to keep oneself updated. “Before you embark on the UPSC journey, you need to figure out what works for you and which coaching caters to your demands. Once, that is sorted out, you can start building daily goals and set a time table for oneself.”

As for the interview round – where he fared the best – he suggests concentrating on very small details and giving as many mock interviews as possible to simulate the actual one, so that one is well prepared and calm on the D-day.

HOW TO BEAT STRESS

Kiran said that the best way to beat stress is to always have a strong Plan B ready. “It is a must to have a solid backup plan to stay focused and clear about our next move. In my case, my job was the safety net that saved me from the psychological hassles.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
Policing, Trust, and Investment: Insights from IPF - Indian Masterminds
Indian Police Foundation Marks 10 Years, Discussion on How Policing Builds Investor Confidence
Madhya Pradesh football training
Mini Brazil to Germany: Vicharpur’s Young Footballers Get CM Mohan Yadav’s Blessings on Vijayadashami Week
bureaucracy news
Centre Announces Key Bureaucratic Appointments & Deputation Extensions: Neeraj Surendran, Arun G, Anand Mohan Among Key Names
PM Modi CM Nitish Kumar
Bihar Receives Rs. 10,219 Crore from Centre: A Festive Gift On Vijayadashami to Fuel Development & Welfare, Backed by GST Reforms
Chhattisgarh government
Chhattisgarh CM Charts Development Roadmap: Push for Capital Expenditure, Biometric Attendance, & Transparent Governance
Vishnu Deo Sai CM
Chhattisgarh Gets Rs. 3,462 Crore Boost from Modi Government: Here's How CM Sai Pledges To Spend It!
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
How Siddhartha Saxena Cracked UPSC CAPF AIR 326 Against All Odds
Dr. S.K
Technology Meets Ecology: IFS Dr S K Srivastava’s Game-Changing Innovations in Forest Management | Eco Warrior Awards 2025 Interview
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Live Interaction
From Cut-off Dates to Coaching & Reforms: UPSC Chairman Ajay Kumar Assures Aspirants of Fairness, Transparency & a Future-Ready UPSC | UPSC@100
A Century of Service: The UPSC’s Landmark Year Begins. Chairman Ajay Kumar on UPSC’s Centennial: “Merit,...
Giriraj Parihar MPPSC 2024
From Constable to Deputy Collector: Giriraj Parihar’s 9-Year MPPSC Journey | Farmer’s Son, Brother to Five Sisters
From a jail guard to MPPSC 2024 Rank 8, Giriraj Parihar’s nine-year journey of self-study, hard work,...
Ankit MPPSC 2024 Rank 3
From Village Dreams to Deputy Collector’s Chair: Meet Ankit, MPPSC Rank 3 Hindi Medium Topper
Ankit, a Hindi-medium aspirant from Balaghat, secured Rank 3 in MPPSC 2024 and became Deputy Collector...
Social Media
World Rhino Day India
On World Rhino Day, IFS Officer Parveen Kaswan Shares Rare Insights - India Now Hosts 80% of the World’s One-Horned Rhinos
September 22 Marks Global Call for Rhino Conservation; India Holds 80% of World’s Greater One-Horned...
Parag Madhukar Dhakate
Relentless Rains Wreak Havoc in Dehradun: IFS officer PM Dhakate Warns Citizens Amid Flash Floods
Cloudbursts in Dehradun triggered flash floods. IFS officer Dr. PM Dhakate warned citizens to stay indoors...
Forest Guard Tiger Encounter
Tigers Clash in the Wild as Forest Guards Capture Rare Footage , Retired IFS Mohan Pargaien Posts Viral Video
Retired IFS officer Mohan Pargaien shares viral video of three tigers brawling in Ramnagar, as forest...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
India’s Missile Strikes on 11 Pakistani Airbases Forced Islamabad Into Panic: Ex-UK Envoy Reveals Secret Saudi Defense Pact
Devendra Kumar Tiwari Alka Tiwari  IAS Jharkhand
First IAS Couple in India to Hold Both Chief Secretary & State Election Commissioner Posts Consecutively - Know This Powerful Pair
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Siddhartha Saxena UPSC CAPF
Dr. S.K
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT