https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

Failed Twice, Lost Father During Interview, Yet Cracked UPSC With AIR 44

Divyanshu Nigam cleared the UPSC exam in the third attempt
Indian Masterminds Stories

Divyanshu Nigam from Lucknow had ticked all the right boxes, yet could not clear the UPSC CSE in his first two attempts. Indian Masterminds spoke to the young bureaucrat to know find out what changes did he bring in his preparation to clear the civil services scans.

EARLY LIFE

Divyanshu’s father Late SK Nigam served in Uttar Pradesh cadre of Indian Forest Service (IFS). Like all children of civil servants, Divyanshu also had to switch many schools. He passed class 10 from St Mary’s School, Saharanpur and 12th from DPS Kalyanpur, Kanpur. He then opted for getting into the prestigious IIT however, couldn’t clear the exam and got into BITS Palani (Goa campus) to pursue chemical engineering. Divyanshu was among the top five children during his schooling and was decently good during his graduation as well.

He told Indian Masterminds, “I always wanted to get in the civil services as my father was my role model. Moreover, my cousin brother who is in the IRS motivated me to it. He told me how difficult it is to be in the administration. This challenge motivated me further to civil services.”

Started preparation during graduation

He agrees that bureaucrats’ children do have an advantage over others in getting good guidance. I never had that dilemma of necessarily working for financial independence after graduation which many people at my age do. Also, my father wanted me to start preparing for the exam as soon as possible, rather than joining a corporate job.”

EARLY PREPARATION

Divyanshu’s preparation started before he even completed his graduation. It was his fourth year itself when he started studying for the UPSC exam. He said, “I started with reading newspaper daily and some basic books about the UPSC exam. Like other UPSC aspirants, I  took UPSC coaching from Delhi. However, it was not a very good experience for me. In 2018, when I appeared for the exam for the very first time, I failed to clear it as I was very under prepared and was just focusing on the prelims exam rather than aiming for the mains. As a UPSC aspirant, according to me one should prepare for the mains exam and they will surely find success in the prelims.”

Preparation room

Divyanshu considers his first attempt as a waste but did not want to repeat same mistakes in the next year. He said, “I took guidance from the toppers and prepared for the exam with full focus. I was very confident about clearing the exam and even found success in the prelims. My mains exam also went very well however, I could not clear it. I did know what more to do. This was a tough time for me but it made me more confident as now I literally wanted to clear the exam so bad.”

STRATEGY TWEAKED

There were quite a lot of things which Divyanshu changed in this preparation for the third attempt. This included his approach towards the exam which he by giving more weightage to other subjects like science rather than focusing only on Economics. The main thing which he changed was his practice in writing answers for the mains exam. He wrote around 50 tests in total and also added some fillers in his answers like diagrams and maps through guidance from IAS officer Anudeep Durishetty and Akshat Jain.

Divyanshu Nigam, IAS (AIR 44)

With these changes nit did he manage to clear all the stages of UPSC 2020 and cleared it with an All India Rank 44 to get into the IAS and accomplishing his childhood dream. Even his father’s death due to Covid-19 in the middle of his interview couldn’t weaken his resolve.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
BPCL_resized
BPCL Partners with GPS Renewables to Set Up Compressed Biogas Plants Nationwide
Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL)
UCSL Delivers First Green Cargo Vessel ‘Wilson Eco 1’ to Norway, Marking Major Export Milestone for India
IAS Manoj Ahuja
Odisha: Chief Secretary Mandates Field Visits for Govt Officials to Strengthen Governance
NSE National Stock Exchange
Who Is Former IAS Neeraj Kumar Gupta, the Newly Appointed Chairman & Public Interest Director of NSE International Exchange?
Hindustan Shipyard Limited HSL
Hindustan Shipyard Launches Skilling Programme for 2,000 Contract Workmen under Skill India Mission
BEL Bharat Electronics Limited
Lt. Gen Vishwambhar Singh Appointed as Independent Director on BEL Board - Know About Him
NBCC
NBCC Appoints Dr Deepak Singh & Prof. B.P. Bhosale as Independent Directors - Know About Them
MDL_Mazagaon_ltd
Veni Thapar Appointed as Independent Director on Board of Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd.
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
E-Rickshaw Chaos, Waterlogging, Traffic Mess — Can Noida Fix Its Daily Chaos? | Exclusive with Dr Lokesh M, IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
IRS Padmapani Bora’s 16-Year-Long Journey in Governance
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
This Collector Finds Happiness In Squeaks Of Children With Hearing Impairment Who Start Hearing After Surgery
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-23 at 21.26
“You May Fail Twice, But If You Stand Tall the Third Time, You Fly” – Trilok Singh, CSE ’24 AIR 20 | Exclusive
Rejected by the military, Trilok Singh didn’t quit, he reloaded. In CSE 2024, the Rajasthan native stormed...
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-23 at 17.08
Two Births in Two Weeks: How Malavika G Nair Delivered Her Baby And Her UPSC Dreams
Just 14 days after giving birth, Malavika G Nair cradled her newborn in one arm and a UPSC answer sheet...
Komal Punia UPSC 2024 AIR 6
Komal Punia: The IPS Officer Who Pursued Her IAS Dream & Conquered UPSC With AIR 6 | Exclusive
Komal Punia, a trainee IPS officer from Saharanpur, UP, overcame challenges and self-doubt to secure...
Social Media
GozJlgrXYAAHoKv
Murals for Cleanliness: Thoothukudi District Launches Art-Inspired Sanitation Drive in Panchayats
Local artists add colour and messages to village walls, promoting hygiene and community pride
Himanshu Nagpal IAS
Varanasi's Beggar Rehabilitation Initiative Recognised by UIDAI, CDO Himanshu Nagpal Shares the News
Mr. Himanshu Nagpal is a 2019-batch IAS officer
IAS Vaishali Chopra
Young IAS Vaishali Chopra Takes a Stand Against Caste Bias During Field Training in Uttar Pradesh
While the issue itself may seem small, the post is resonating widely online for its honest reflection...
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
BPCL_resized
BPCL Partners with GPS Renewables to Set Up Compressed Biogas Plants Nationwide
Udupi Cochin Shipyard Limited (UCSL)
UCSL Delivers First Green Cargo Vessel ‘Wilson Eco 1’ to Norway, Marking Major Export Milestone for India
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
Dr Lokesh M IAS
IRS Padmapani Bora UPSC
WhatsApp Image 2025-04-13 at 1.46
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT