‘Failure is a blessing in disguise.’ This oft used quote often forces us to think ‘but how’? According to a competitive exam topper, the answer is, by forcing us to change our strategy! With a new plan comes new success. The story of Bihar boy Anubhav Kumar is a true example. When he failed in the first attempt of UPSC CSE, he changed his entire strategy, and what happened next is a series of dizzying successes.
In less than two and a half years of preparation, he cracked UPSC IES, GATE and four other UPSC held written exams, and, now, he has become a topper of BPSC-2022 with Rank 2. He will get the post of Sub Registrar as there are no post of SDM or DSP for general category this time.
Interestingly, he might also become an IAS officer, as he has also cleared UPSC CSE-2023 Mains.
Anubhav was clear from the beginning that he would join civil services only. That’s why, he never participated in any campus placement drive. Speaking exclusively to Indian Masterminds, he shared his inspiring journey.
JOURNEY SO FAR
He started his preparation after graduation in 2021. First, he gave UPSC CSE-2022 and was expecting a good result. Unfortunately, he failed, which was a big setback for him. So, in 2022, he changed his strategy and decided to give every exam that matched the syllabus of UPSC CSE.
And, he cracked the UPSC Indian Engineering Services (IES)-2023 with rank 17, and the 68th BPSC exam with rank 2 in his very first attempt.
He has also cracked other written exams of UPSC like CAPF and EPFO, but did not go for the interviews. He passed the UPSC IFS prelims as well but did not sit for the mains. Other than UPSC exams, he also achieved rank 66 in GATE-2022.
What brought these waves of successes is changed strategies. The icing on the cake is his second attempt at UPSC CSE in 2023, where he has cracked the mains and his interview is scheduled for March or April this year.
He said, “There were two struggle periods in my journey. One was the starting time for 5-6 months, when there was no clarity in my study. Unless you are actually face to face with the exam, there will be no clarity. The second was when I failed in the first attempt of UPSC. At that time, I was expecting better results. That was a very low phase of my life. After that, I changed my strategy.”
BACKGROUND
Anubhav hails from Aiyara Village in Arwal district, Bihar. His father is a headmaster in a middle school while his mother is a homemaker. He has a younger sister, too.
He completed his basic education from DAV Public School, Jehanabad. Then, he graduated (B.Tech) in Civil Engineering from IIT Delhi in 2021. After graduation, he started civil service exam preparation.
CIVIL SERVICES PREPARATIONS
He never took any coaching except for writing the test series for UPSC and BPSC both. He started his preparation for UPSC CSE and later shifted towards UPSC IES and BPSC as plan B. Due to UPSC preparation, his base was already prepared, which helped him a lot in BPSC.
Further, he took guidance from his friend who had already cleared the exam. This friend suggested the book ‘Bihar Samagra’ for Bihar Special. For current affairs, he took help from Youtube videos.
For mains, he made BPSC special notes through some standard books, some freely available coaching materials and the Internet. He also studied Bihar’s Economic Survey and Budget. He gave many test series and PYQs and got his copies evaluated by some teachers.
He said, “This time, exam pattern was little different and was as per UPSC. So it was an advantage for me and helped me a lot. The aspirants who had only prepared for BPSC might have faced difficulties this year.”
For Interview, he never gave any mock and only read newspapers. His optional was Civil Engineering.
He said, “This exam is more unpredictable and uncontrollable. But if you have a good strategy and plan well, your confidence will get boosted and you will keep moving.”
INTERVIEW
His interview was good. He was asked situation questions. He said, “It was really a relief for me because fact-based interview might have been tough for me. But for situational questions, your common sense, observational skills and confidence matter.”
A member asked him that if he was to become Deputy SP, then what changes will he bring? And why only he can bring those changes, and not anyone else?
Apart from this, Anubhav was asked questions from his background and Civil Engineering. An interesting question he was asked was about Ayodhya’ Ram Mandir – “What special things have been used in the construction of the temple?”
SUGGESTIONS
He also gave suggestions for aspirants that are on two fronts – emotional and spiritual. While asking them to keep patience and never get disappointed, he further said, “Always try to learn from your failures and then come back with better performance. Try to do smart study, instead of counting hours. You can’t read everything as your mind has a certain capacity. So, it’s better to understand the pattern of the exam and know what to read and what to leave. Focus on implementation and try to simulate the process according to the real exam.”
FUTURE AIM
About his own future plans, Anubhav said that he is not yet sure whether to choose BPSC or UPSC IES. But, there is a possibility that he might go with IES. “Plus, as I am also giving UPSC CSE interview, so I am hoping for the best. But, whatever I choose, I will discharge my duties with honesty and full dedication.”
