IRS officer Mudit Jain is a determined individual whose journey from uncertainty to success is nothing short of inspiring. Hailing from Delhi, he found himself at a crossroads after completing his 10th grade. Like many teenagers, he grappled with the decision of whether to pursue engineering or medicine. Feeling lost, he eventually settled on studying Biology with Mathematics in the 11th grade.
Despite not clearing exams like IIT and AIEEE, Mr. Jain secured admission to Amity University, Noida, with a 50% scholarship. However, he lacked a clear goal until he remembered his childhood dream of becoming a civil servant. After completing his engineering, he worked at Accenture in Bangalore but soon left to prepare for the UPSC Civil Services Examination.
3 / 5 SUCCESSFUL ATTEMPTS
Mr. Jain tried UPSC five times. His initial attempt in 2013 saw him reach the interview stage, albeit with a score of 118, which fell short of securing a post in the service. Undeterred, the following year he exhibited commendable performance in the main exam, scoring 822, the 11th highest mark, but faced a setback with the second lowest interview score of 110. Nonetheless, he clinched rank 222, earning a spot in the IPS.
“While I spent the whole year worrying about my interview score from 2014, UPSC shocked me in my 2015 attempt by giving me an even lower score. It felt like the worst thing that could happen,” the officer shared with Indian Masterminds.
His determination led him to refocus his efforts solely on IAS and IPS roles for his third attempt in 2015, resulting in another successful entry into the IPS. However, his journey was hindered by a physical injury during training, which afflicted both his knees and led to prolonged absences. The diagnosis of osteoarthritis dashed hopes of a full recovery, prompting doctors to advise considering a change in service. “It wasn’t possible, because UPSC said I was fit,” Mr. Jain added.
Undeterred by setbacks, he persisted, attempting the exam again in 2016 but failing to clear the preliminary. Finally, in 2017, his perseverance bore fruit as he secured rank 173, opting to serve as an IRS officer.
“I always wanted to become an IPS officer and always wanted a uniform job, but this is fate,” Mr. Jain shared with Indian Masterminds.
PREPARATION STRATEGY
Upon returning from Bangalore, Mr. Jain found himself at a loss; his initial attempt at preparation for the Civil Services Exam was marred by a lack of direction and an overwhelming reliance on extensive reading without effective revision. Determined to improve, he adjusted his strategy for the second attempt, focusing on a more streamlined approach by narrowing down his study materials to 1-2 books and diligently making thorough notes.
For the main exam, he found his primary resource in newspaper readings, attributing 90% of his success to this habit. “I dedicated myself to gathering unique content to make my answers stand out.”
MUDIT JAIN BLOGS
Having successfully cleared the CSE three times, Mr. Jain recognized the value of his six years of preparation experience and felt compelled to share his journey and insights with other aspirants, particularly regarding cracking the mains and understanding UPSC’s expectations. “Encouraged by my friend IPS Pushkin Jain, I decided to document my notes and embark on sharing my knowledge through a blog and YouTube channel,” he shared.
TELEGRAM CHANNEL
In 2018-19, Mr. Jain launched a Telegram channel aimed at providing guidance for CSE. Over time, the channel flourished. It attracted 37,000 aspirants seeking advice, with over 50 individuals from the channel successfully clearing the exam and are in different services in the past two years. The Channel is free for all telegram group – @decodecivilsgroup
DECODE ETHICS
Embracing his passion for writing and mentoring, he penned his first book titled “DECODE ETHICS” in 2018. This endeavor stemmed from a coaching mentor’s suggestion to compile his 100 pages of ethics notes into a book, which turned out to be a success. Encouraged by this reception, he continued to write more books, albeit with varying degrees of success. “Nonetheless, “Decode Ethics” remained a beloved piece among all my books. Most recently, I released a book on CSAT just 12 days ago,” the officer shared.
WISE WORDS
Mr. Jain strongly advocates for structured goal-setting, advising aspirants to create schedules encompassing daily, weekly, fortnightly, and monthly targets.
