https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

You Don’t Need to be From IIT or IIM to Clear Civil Service Exam: Pratyush Pandey

IIT Kanpur graduate and IIM Ahmedabad MBA, Pratyush Pandey, aced CSE 2019 with AIR 21 in his first attempt. However, he says that one doesn’t have to be from top notch engineering and management colleges to clear UPSC CSE. The aspirant who is willing to make an effort and does not expect someone to spoonfeed him is the one who can clear the exam.
Indian Masterminds Stories

Meet Pratyush Pandey, who was an IIT Kanpur passed out civil engineer and an IIM Ahmedabad MBA before clearing the Civil Service examination 2019 with AIR 21 in his very first attempt. Although he had a technical background, he chose Sociology as his optional and cleared the examination with flying colors. In our series of UPSC success stories, Indian Masterminds presents the UPSC journey of Pratyush Pandey, focusing mainly on his preparation strategy.

BACKGROUND

Pratyush Pandey hails from Delhi and did his early education from Sanskriti School. He did B.Tech. in Civil Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 2017. After completing his MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Pratyush appeared in CSE 2019 for the first time. It was his proper understanding of the demand of this examination that made him clear it in the first attempt itself.

In an interaction with media, Pratyush had said, “I never followed any topper’s strategy. The basic understanding of topics is the key that can help you to prepare specifically. It is needed in the beginning so that you do not waste your time on unnecessary reading. To develop this understanding, I went through a lot of blogs that also helped me to prepare my book list.”

ON OPTIONAL

Pratyush said that choosing optional is a point where most of the aspirants struggle the most. “Having an engineering and management background, it was difficult for me, too, to decide what to choose as my optional. Juggling among Civil Engineering, Mathematics and even Philosophy, I finally chose Sociology, mainly due to time constraints and my interest in this particular subject as well.”

Talking about strategy, he said, ” Initially, you need to narrow down 3-4 subjects of your interest and should go through previous year papers. Your interest, familiarity with the subject, length of syllabus, time constraints, and most importantly, the availability of resources are some key points which I recommend to think about before finalising the optional.”

MAKING NOTES

According to Pratyush, one should not make notes in the beginning. “Initially, we don’t have an idea of important topics due to which everything seems important.” To understand the strategy of note making, he suggests going through the video of CSE 2018 topper Akshat Jain and IPS officer Archit Chandak’s blog. “Always remember, make notes short and crispy because ultimately you have to revise it again and again.”

Stressing on attempting mock test series, he says, “Giving mocks always develops the sense of elimination and guessing while choosing the right answer.”

STRATEGY FOR MAINS

Talking about his Mains experience, he said, “When I went through toppers answer sheets, one thing that I realised was, writing 3-4 excellent points does not bring you more marks. Instead, focus on writing 10 to 12 points which may be of an average category. Following the keywords of the question and breaking your answer into pointers make it more catchy.”

He advocates adopting a particular framework while writing answers. “For example, in Ethics, the answer should be framed with introduction, approach, options analysis and conclusion. Following this process increases the probability of getting good marks.”

IMPORTANCE OF EDITORIALS

The importance of editorials from the Interview point of view cannot be brushed aside. Pratyush tells us why they are in fact more important for the interview round.

“In an interview, you need to express your opinion too, and here editorials play an important role as your support pillars. It’s ok to not agree with the interview panel on any matter. You can just express your opinion with a particular reason; it’s like a natural conversation and nothing beyond that. Keep one thing in mind though: do not argue and maintain dignity while expressing your points.”

Last but not the least, he said that the civil service examination is not a test of our genius. “You don’t need to be from top notch colleges like IIT, IIM. If you are willing to make an effort and do not expect someone to spoonfeed you, then you are the one who can clear the exam.”


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Bihar Elections 2025: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Addresses 5 Key Issues - SIR, Fake Voting, Freebies & More
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
NTPC_Tapovan Donates_Ambulance_
NTPC Hands Over ₹30 Lakh Advanced Life Support Ambulance to Chamoli District Hospital to Boost Emergency Healthcare
NTPC_Barauni_signed_agreement_
NTPC Barauni to Install 89 High-Mast Lights Across Begusarai to Boost Safety and Community Development
BPCL_bags_Excellence_Awards_
BPCL Wins Top Honours for City Gas Distribution and Customer Service at 19th PNGRB Foundation Day
Allahabad high court
SC Collegium Approves Appointment of Vinai Kumar Dwivedi as Judge of Allahabad High Court
JK Cement Health Camp Panna
Free Health Camp Organised for Forest Personnel During Wildlife Week 2025 by South Panna Forest Division
REC Mobile Medical Units
Union Minister Bhupender Yadav Flags Off REC’s ₹5.71 Cr Mobile Medical Units to Boost Rural Healthcare in Rajasthan
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Dr G K Goswami IPS
Everything you ever wanted to know about e-murder, e-dacoity and data safety
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
Ravikant Meena on IFS Preparation, Optionals, and Life in Forest Service
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
IDES Saquib Alam
UPSC Strategy & Mindset Tips from IDES Officer Saquib Alam | Video Interview 
Discover how IDES officer Saquib Alam left his corporate job at Mahindra, overcame six UPSC attempts,...
Utkarsh Ujjwal IAS
IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal Shares Key Advice for UPSC Aspirants: Work Ethic, Failure, and Focus
Read the inspiring journey of IAS Utkarsh Ujjwal, 2023 batch, Gujarat cadre. From IIT Guwahati to clearing...
Sagar Datta Majumdar UPSC CSE 2024 AIR 317
“Don’t get trapped in the vicious cycle of self-doubt,” says UPSC Achiever Sagar Datta Majumdar
Discover how Sagar Datta Majumdar from Agartala, Tripura, cracked UPSC CSE 2024 with All India Rank 317....
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
CEC Gyanesh Kumar
Bihar Elections 2025: CEC Gyanesh Kumar Addresses 5 Key Issues - SIR, Fake Voting, Freebies & More
BSNL
BSNL Surpasses Airtel in Mobile Subscriber Growth After Nearly a Year; Jio Leads with 19 Lakh Additions in August
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IDES Saquib Alam
Dr G K Goswami IPS
IFS Ravikant Meena UPSC IFS
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT