A native of Bihar who now hails from Goa, retired army officer’s daughter Someya Kumari has not only successfully cracked the highly competitive Civil Services Exam in her fourth attempt with AIR-502, but has also cracked the Indian Forest Service Exam with AIR 72.

Speaking to Indian Masterminds, Someya revealed how she managed to clear both the exams.

TWO EXAMS SIMULTANEOUSLY

Initially focused on clearing the civil services exam only, Someya made the decision to pursue IFS during her first year of M.Tech studies. Despite not clearing the Prelims exam in her first attempt, she continued with her efforts and successfully cleared both the Prelims of the civil services exam and the Prelims of the forest service exam in her second attempt in 2020. However, as her primary goal was to clear the CSE, and considering her commitments to M.Tech studies, she chose not to sit for the IFS Mains exam at that time.

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In her third attempt, Someya faced disappointment as she couldn’t clear the Prelims. Undeterred, she made a breakthrough in her fourth attempt, successfully clearing the Prelims and surpassing the cutoff for the forest service exam. Realizing the importance of maximizing her chances in the CSE, Someya decided to prepare for the IFS Mains after clearing the Prelims of both the exams. “With a two-month gap between the Mains exams of the CSE and the IFS, I utilized the time to gather relevant books, resources, and notes,” she told Indian Masterminds.

PREPARATION

For her optional subjects in the forest service exam, Someya chose Geology and Forestry. With limited amount of time and resources at her disposal, she opted for self-preparation. Recognizing the significance of this opportunity, she strived to leave no stone unturned in her preparations and ultimately emerged victorious, clearing the 2022 forest service exam as well.

FOCUSSING ON PRELIMS

While discussing her journey, Someya highlighted the need for aspirants to consider the Indian Forest Service Exam alongside the CSE. She emphasized the importance of focused preparation and utilizing online resources wisely, while acknowledging the limited awareness among candidates regarding this exam and service.

She further revealed that the major competition lies in the Prelims round and stressed the significance of developing a sound strategy to crack this stage. Despite the seemingly daunting task of preparing for two optional subjects, she emphasized the importance of the right approach and utilizing a limited range of course materials, including online resources.

CSE OR IFS?

Someya Kumari is yet to receive her service and cadre allocation, which presents her with a challenging decision to make. “It is quite difficult to choose between both the services now,” she said.

She acknowledges the immense career prospects offered by both the services and recognizes India’s commendable efforts in wildlife-related projects such as the Project Tiger and cheetah reintroduction.

That is why she believes that aspirants should seriously consider the Indian Forest Service as a career option while preparing for the civil service exam, given the rewarding opportunities it presents.