To be in civil services is a dream for many. The journey of preparation, multiple attempts, various stages is a test of patience and perseverance for the aspirants. Some of them are lucky to crack it in the first attempt itself. But there are a handful of them who do not give up and keep making attempt after attempt till they finally make it to the list.
The question is how are they able to sustain the same level of focus and motivation for so long? We keep hearing of UPSC success stories where the aspirants never gave up and kept on trying until they succeeded. Indian Masterminds talked with some of the civil service officers who had a similar road to success: they emerged successful in their UPSC journey after traversing a long road of preparation, disappointments, and failures. Yet they did not give up and succeeded in their last and final attempt. Their stories are of grit and determination and the will to reach their goal.
IRS NAMITA SHARMA
Ms. Namita Sharma is currently posted as the Assistant Commissioner of Income Tax, Delhi. She got selected to IRS in 2018. She secured 145th rank and got the service that was her second choice. She had made six attempts and till the fourth attempt, she was not able to crack even the prelims.
In her fifth attempt, she went till the interview round but couldn’t clear it. When asked about what kept her motivated throughout the journey, she said that she could do it because UPSC was solely her decision. It was not influenced by peer pressure or parents’ wishes. Hence, it was a kind of self-challenge for her. She challenged herself to do better next time.
“I always thought that I am so close and why wouldn’t I eventually succeed. That inner fire was my strength. There were times when I also thought to give it up, but as it is said, in those times of weakness one must remember why they started in the first place. I applied that on my life and, yes, here I am!” Ms. Sharma said.
She further said that the whole game is about confidence and incremental improvement. If aspirants can determine where they are going wrong and work on it, there’s no stopping them.
Before starting her preparation for CSE, she was working in IBM, Pune, as a software developer. During this period, she cleared SSC CGL and joined the Customs& GST department.
She firmly believes that whoever is preparing for UPSC, shouldn’t sit at home for more than a year. “I left IBM for preparation. I was making attempts, but nothing was working out. While my friends of IBM were going abroad, my life was still uncertain. These things bother you. So, I tried to appear for other exams also and when I was selected in SSC CGL, I joined. Although I considered it a transit period only, it gave me a lot of confidence,” she said.
Ms. Sharma also feels that since she has experience of working in both the private and public sectors, it has made things easier for her. She advises aspirants to look for jobs that will help them in UPSC preparation, like teaching or content writing.
She also mentioned that if she got a chance, she would like to make another attempt at UPSC to get administrative service. However, she is satisfied with revenue service also, as it was her second choice and, more importantly, it is skill-based and provides diversity of work experience.
IRS VIVEK CHAUHAN
Currently posted as the Deputy Commissioner, Income Tax, Delhi, Mr. Vivek Chauhan also cleared UPSC in his sixth attempt. He was working as a teacher in East Delhi Municipal Corporation School while preparing. Sharing his experience, he said, “I was going through a tough phase of my life. My parents had gone through a tragedy and all the responsibilities were one me. I was overburdened with loan. I and my wife had to pay the maximum part of our salaries on loan repayment. UPSC was a do-or-die situation for me. It was the only solution for all my problems. Since, I had nothing to lose, it never occurred to me to give up.”
He also said that UPSC is an addiction. It is easy to start and even if aspirants fail, they will have that one feeling that will push them to learn from mistakes and try once more. The exam is like a cycle. When Prelims ends, Mains dates are announced. There is very little gap between result and the next phase. “So, one is never bothered about failure. There is no time for that. You will always focus on the upcoming exam. And, of course, this exam is full of uncertainty. You can never be sure about success, but then, there is your perseverance which will help you to come out of every situation and start again,” he explained.
