It was no less than a dream come true for Manoj Thakur, a farmer from the Madhubani district of Bihar when his son Mukund Kumar bagged 54th rank in his first attempt in the UPSC Civil Services Examination- 2019.
Today, Indian Masterminds will take you through the UPSC journey of Mukund Kumar to know how this farmer’s son went on to become an IAS officer in his first attempt!
EARLY DAYS
A native of Baruar village in Bhatchoura panchayat of Madhubani, Bihar, Mr. Kumar was just like any other boy in his neighborhood, except that he secured first division in every academic examination.
In the Madhubani district, he completed his primary schooling at Rajnagar Awsiya Sharda Vidyalaya. In 2006, he cleared the entrance examination for Sainik School, Goalpara in Assam. After clearing the Plus Two examination from Sainik School in 2012, he moved to Delhi for graduation.
FAMILY
Mr. Kumar’s father Manoj Thakur did M.Sc. in Zoology in 1990 but didn’t get a government job. He tried his luck in teaching and banking jobs, but success eluded him. And because he had no money left to continue trying, he came into the field of agriculture and became a farmer.
Apart from agrarian works, he runs a counter of Sudha Milk Parlour, along with his brother-in-law at Babubarhi bazaar in the district. Mr. Kumar’s mother is a homemaker and takes care of the family.
JOURNEY INTO UPSC
An English honours degree holder from Delhi University, Mukund Kumar always wanted to make a career in a field that can help the poor and downtrodden. Hailing from a poor family himself, Mr. Kumar wanted to dedicate his life to helping others like him.
He knew that there is no better way to help others than become a person who has the power to do so. His mind inclined towards civil services and he made up his mind to start preparing for the UPSC examination.
But he did not wish to hamper his graduation while doing so. Therefore, he made up his mind that he will only start preparing once he completes his graduation.
SUCCESS IN THE FIRST ATTEMPT
After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in English Literature (Honours) from PGDAV College, the University of Delhi in the year 2018, Mr. Kumar began his preparation for UPSC Civil Service Examinations. He formed a proper timetable and religiously followed it.
He made precise strategies and prepared notes. He did not opt for any coaching institute, as he thought he would be able to prepare without it. His main paper at UPSC was political science and he focused on it. He practiced answer writing and gave numerous mock tests, and once he was confident about his preparation, he made his first attempt at UPSC CSE.
In his very first attempt at the Civil Services Examination in the year 2019, Mr. Kumar not only cleared the exam but also brought laurels to his district by getting an All India Rank of 54!
ADVICE TO FUTURE ASPIRANTS
Regarding the preparation for the UPSC exam, Mr. Kumar believes that candidates should first read and understand the syllabus of the exam. After that, start their studies with the basics. Apart from this, he asks the aspirants to prepare well for the prelims exam because if you fail to clear the prelims then the further preparation will go in vain. At the same time, he gives a lot of emphasis on the optional subject for the Mains exam. As for current affairs, he recommends reading newspapers daily and noting down important events.
