The results of UPSC CSE – 2021 were dominated by women, with the fairer sex bagging the top 3 ranks in the prestigious and much-coveted list.
Today, Indian Masterminds will take you through the eventful UPSC journey of AIR-2 Ankita Agarwal and her preparation.
EARLY LIFE
Born and brought up in Kolkata, West Bengal, Ankita did her schooling at DPS Ruby Park where she took admission in 2003. Her family originally hails from Bihar where they had been living in a joint family.
Her father is a businessman and her mother a homemaker. Her brother is pursuing MBA in Delhi. The family stays in Kalindi. Since her childhood, Ankita is reserved in nature and very sincere about her studies.
After completing her schooling, she went on to graduate in Economics Hons. from Delhi University’s prestigious St Stephen’s College. She completed her graduation in 2017 and received placement in a consultancy firm called Dalberg, where she worked for a year before quitting her job and starting her UPSC preparation.
CLEARED IN THE THIRD ATTEMPT
Right from her graduation days, Ankita was pretty sure and motivated about UPSC CSE. There were no grey areas in her career plans. She made up her mind to appear for the UPSC exam and crack it.
“My parents supported me a lot throughout my journey,” she said. Moreover, they never burdened her with their own dreams or forced her to study hard. “My parents were never forceful about my career plans,” she told media after her success.
She prepared hard and gave her first attempt at UPSC in the year 2019 and secured AIR-239. She got into Indian Revenue Service, but her dream was to become an IAS officer, and if not that, then an IPS officer. Therefore, Ankita decided to give her second attempt at UPSC CSE in the year 2020.
But it was during her third attempt at UPSC CSE 2021 that she not only cracked the civil services exam to become an IAS officer but also acquired AIR-2 and became a topper!
In an interview, she said, “This is my third attempt; in my first attempt, there was less time, so I couldn’t cover much. In my second attempt, there was a lack of diligence, but I thankfully bridged it in my third attempt.”
WANTS TO WORK FOR BENGAL
Ankita is keen to be part of the Bengal administration and aspires to work in school education, health and family welfare, and rural development.
She said, “West Bengal is my home cadre that I’m expecting to get. I want to work at the grassroot level and serve the people. For any country to develop, it needs a well-educated population. So, I think a well-educated population is the first step for any sort of development, both economic and social.”
PREPARATION STRATEGY
Talking about her strategy for preparing for the civil services exam, Ankita Agarwal said, “I studied hard as I could while still giving time to my health, my family members, and my friends. I tried to fit in as many hours as I could to study for at least 8-12 hours a day.”
She made notes on her computer so that they are easier to organize. She studied from sources and translated them into her own language which made it easier for her to revise.
While sharing tips for UPSC aspirants, Ankita said, “One should be very clear about why they want to join the services and if one has the motivation, then it helps more. It’s important to have a sustainable plan since it’s a long process that takes at least two years, so that it helps to stay motivated.”
She chose Political Science and International Relations as optional, which were new to her and helped her sustain the preparation and kept her interested.
HONOUR TO SEE WOMEN EXCEL
Ankita said that it’s a matter of great pride and honor to see women taking the first spots on the merit list. She said just because women are the top three rank holders, it doesn’t imply that women have a special quality. It just shows that more women are getting opportunities.
“Women have a lot more desire to prove themselves because the society holds them up to certain standards, which motivates them,” she said, adding that the country will see more women frequently at the top of the list.
Ankita became an IRS officer in the year 2019 and is currently serving her probation period at the National Academy of Customs, Indirect Taxes and Narcotics (NACIN) in Haryana’s Faridabad. She can’t wait to go back to her hometown and meet her family by the end of the week. She likes to read in her free time and used to play basketball earlier.
