Hailing from a small town in Madhya Pradesh, Damini was brought up by her mother after her father passed away when she was just three years old. Besides Damini, her mother was also a pillar of strength for her younger sister, and together, the three ladies of the house faced all the struggles that came their way.
But the struggling period is now over as the elder daughter of the household, Damini Diwakar, cleared the UPSC CSE examinations this year by securing AIR-435 and is all set to become an IRS (C&IT) officer.
Indian Masterminds exclusively spoke with her to know more about her journey.
INSPIRATION
Damini made up her mind to become a civil servant while she was still in college. She attended numerous guidance programs in her college where she came face to face with several civil officers who shared stories of their struggle and journeys. Their stories inspired Damini immensely and she decided to contribute to the nation’s development by getting into the civil service.
She began preparing for the same and gave attempts. She got selected in the Indian Defence Accounts Service in her third attempt and is currently undergoing training for the same.
“I carried on with my preparation with diligence and hard work, I was able to crack the UPSC CSE 2022, the results of which were declared this year, and I am happy to soon become a part of the Indian Revenue Service,” Damini told Indian Masterminds.
PREPARATION
The young officer chose psychology as her optional subject as she found an opportunity to learn a new subject and the subject had always fascinated her.
Damini never took any coaching to prepare for her examination. She stuck to the basic books, and took guidance from her mentors and seniors. She believes that constant guidance from people who have already gone through the exam is extremely important and helped her immensely.
“It’s all about a lot of practice and revision at the end. Therefore, I gave a lot of mock tests until and unless I got the things right. This became the core of my preparation,” she shared.
INTERESTING INTERVIEW
Apart from the usual questions that Damini was asked, one incident that she clearly remembers from her Interview round was of how the judges took note of her name ‘Damini’ and articulated questions related to the famous 1993 film – Damini. They asked her several questions related to the film and she had a great time answering them.
Her main points of focus, now that she’s a civil servant, is to work for the welfare of children, women and the environment.
TIPS FOR THE UPCOMING ASPIRANTS
Damini has a special message for the aspirants and for the ones who were not able to crack the exam this year. She says, “One should go for the examination with realistic expectations as it looks rosy from the outside but is mentally taxing from the inside. Please get a holistic perspective about the entire thing before making up your mind to crack the exam and do not over-glorify everything as life is way bigger than the exam. Identify your mistakes and do not hesitate to take help from your family, friends, and mentors.”
