In the annals of Indian history, there have been numerous inspiring stories of individuals who have risen through the ranks and made a significant impact on society. One such extraordinary tale is that of Praveen Nigam, a man who transitioned from being a commanding officer in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to a distinguished bureaucrat.
Indian Masterminds spoke exclusively with him to know more about his journey over the years.
EARLY LIFE
Born and brought up in Bareily, Uttar Pradesh, Praveen was always keen on serving his nation. After completing his B.Sc. in Physics Honours from St. Stephen’s College in Delhi in 2012, he planned on providing his services to the nation, something which he learned from his father, who is an IAS officer, promoted from state services and is about to superannuate soon.
Praveen gave the UPSC CAPF examination right after college and acquired the post of an Assistant Commandant at CISF. He was proud of his job but his actual calling was to become a civil servant. He then proceeded to give the Indian Forest Service examination in 2016 and became an IFS officer of the 2017 batch.
WALKING IN HIS FATHER’S FOOTSTEPS
Praveen always remained fascinated with his father’s job. Being an IAS officer, his father shared with him how the administration goes to elaborate lengths to bring prosperity and peace in the common public’s life.
His aspirations did not end with his achievements in the CISF and IFS. He harboured a deep-rooted desire to contribute to the country’s governance and bring about positive change at the policy level. With this ambition in mind, he decided to take a leap of faith and appear for the civil services examination.
PREPARATION
Praveen kept appearing for the CS examinations even while serving as an IFS as he didn’t wish to lose touch with the process. During his initial attempts, he self-studied without any proper guidance. He believes he worked really hard during all his attempts but not towards the right path.
“After getting selected for IFS, I went to the IGNFA Academy, Dehradun, and met others like me who were also trying to crack IAS. I changed my optional from Physics to Public Administration while in the academy as it was very difficult to study a science subject with GS, and started preparing for the same,” Praveen told Indian Masterminds.
A LIFE CHANGING PHASE
Praveen believes that his life changed during the foundation course. He met several people there who were very confident and clear about everything that was to be done.
“This is when I realized that my preparation was not going towards the right direction. Talking to them helped me immensely and made me very serious and confident about my preparation,” he shared.
His preparation methods and strategies changed entirely from here and benefitted him during his exams. He gave numerous mock tests and understood how to prepare for the interview in a proper manner.
His efforts bore fruits and Praveen was able to secure AIR-443 in UPSC CS 2022, after several failed attempts. This was the entry point that he was looking for and even though he was still allocated Forest Service, he believes this is a new beginning for him and he looks forward to serving on the position with all his heart.
