https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Wrote Exam In Pre-Covid High Fever & Aced It

Indian Masterminds Stories

Success doesn’t come in easy. Your patience, determination and tenacity, everything is tested in the journey.  Sometimes the journey becomes long and one has to face unexpected situations. 

Mr. Gaurav Pandey’s journey is somewhat that of a academic gladiator. He faced some unforeseen situations but didn’t give up. In his fourth attempt, he succeeded in UPSC CSE and secured AIR 168.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND 

Mr. Pandey’s family is settled in Delhi. His father is a retired army personnel and mother is a housewife. In an interview with the media, he mentioned that more than him, it was his family’s specially grandfather’s dream that he gets into UPSC CSE. 

Since his father was in a transferrable job so he had studied in different schools including Army School, Kendriya Vidyalaya and Government School in Delhi. He considers himself as an average student. “I scored around 85% in 12th and landed in Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar College for BA (Hons) in English. I completed my Graduation with 66% and started preparation for UPSC simultaneously”, he said.

THE TEST OF TIME 

Before clearing the exam this year, he had given three attempts. He managed to clear Prelims in every attempt but missed Interview with just two marks in his second attempt. In 2020, he appeared for interview but wasn’t in the final. 

This was his fourth attempt and it was very important to him clear this time. He says, “Even if you fail then also UPSC teaches you a lot. With all those teachings you are definitely going to be successful in life. Having said that, the continuous rejection is going to make you sad. No matter how much you want to keep your motivation high, you will start questioning your abilities.”

He needed success but it wasn’t going to be a cake walk for him. After coming from the first day of Mains exam, he got 103 degree fever. It was difficult for him to travel to the examination centre and write the paper. He didn’t give up and wrote rest of the paper in that condition. In an interview he said, “In the exam hall, I saw blood in my cough. But, exam had to be taken. I gathered my strength and finished the paper. The fever continued and I was tested Covid +ve after that. It was a shocker for me but we dealt with it.”

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTION PAPER 

Mr. Pandey emphasizes that everyone should trust their strategy for the preparation. “Many aspirants focus on test series but I didn’t do it after my first attempt. I just solved last 20 years question papers for Pre and did it five or more times. This helped me a lot.”

Besides this, he focused on revising the content for Mains and didn’t attempt answer writing. Also, his optional was English which is considered as a low scoring subject still he didn’t change it after continuous failure. He advises the aspirants to trust their decision and don’t follow everything said by others. 


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
Rajesh Aggarwal
Who Is Rajesh Aggarwal? Technocrat IAS Officer Poised to Become Maharashtra’s Next Chief Secretary
bureaucracy news
IPoS Suvendu Kumar Swain Appointed as Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board; IAS Nand Kumarum Gets Additional Charge of MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation
hindustan-copper-ltd-resized
HCL to Celebrate 59th Foundation Day with Global Seminar on Critical Minerals for India’s Growth for Viksit Bharat @ 2047
IRCON
IRCON Appoints Rajesh Naik as Director (Projects) to Lead Strategic Growth and International Expansion
PM Shri Air Tourism Helicopter Service
MP Launches PM Shri Air Tourism Helicopter Service on 70th Foundation Day, Becomes First State in India with Intra-State Air Tourism Connectivity
mcl
Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) Commits Rs 80 Lakh to Enhance Education Infrastructure in Odisha
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
Bharat Electronics Limited Secures Rs 732 Crore in New Defence Orders, Strengthening India's Aatmanirbhar Bharat Vision
Workshop_on_AI
NTPC Northern Region Hosts Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Employees and Families in Lucknow
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Former IAS Anil Swarup
Former IAS Anil Swarup Reveals His Secrets of Success
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
Everybody Needs To Know What Is Transpiring Behind Closed Doors Of Courts
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IAS Gokul S
Meet IAS Gokul S — The Officer Who Turned Disability into Determination | Video Interview 
Visually impaired IAS officer Gokul S turned his challenges into change, empowering hundreds through...
Parmeshwar Chaudhary RAS
From Taunts to Triumph: How Farmer’s Son Parmeshwar Chaudhary Rose from Lab Assistant to SDM, Securing Rank 3 in RAS 2023
Parmeshwar, once taunted over his SI selection, has scripted a stunning success—securing Rank 3 in RAS...
IAS Rupal Rana UPSC
How Rupal Rana Cracked UPSC CSE 2023 with AIR 26 After Four Attempts
UPSC Topper Rupal Rana secured AIR 26 in 2023 after four attempts. Learn her preparation strategy, booklist,...
Social Media
Tenzin Yangki IPS Arunachal
Historic First: Who Is Tenzin Yangki, Arunachal Pradesh’s First Woman to Join IPS? Anand Mahindra Hails Her
She secured an impressive 545th rank in the prestigious UPSC Civil Services Examination - 2022.
IFS Parveen Kaswan
Heartbreak by the River: 15-Day-Old Elephant Calf Rejected by Mother, Rescued by IFS Parveen Kaswan and His Team
Jaldapra, West Bengal: In a moving incident that tugs at the heart, a 15-day-old elephant calf was rescued...
Ashwini Bhide IAS and Anand Mahindra
Who Is IAS Ashwini Bhide, Hailed as a Role Model for Mumbai Metro Transformation by Anand Mahindra?
From heritage to high-tech: Bhide’s leadership in Metro Line 3 earns public praise and admiration
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
Rajesh Aggarwal
Who Is Rajesh Aggarwal? Technocrat IAS Officer Poised to Become Maharashtra’s Next Chief Secretary
bureaucracy news
IPoS Suvendu Kumar Swain Appointed as Member (Personnel), Postal Services Board; IAS Nand Kumarum Gets Additional Charge of MD & CEO, Digital India Corporation
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Former IAS Anil Swarup
IAS Gokul S
WhatsApp Image 2025-10-23 at 10.40
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT