UPSC CSE 2022 results are out and this year all top four positions have been secured by Women, in fact there are six women in Top 10.
Hailing from Nalagonda, Telangana, Uma Harathi N secured All India Rank 3 in her fifth attempt. A graduate in civil engineering from IIT Hyderabad, Ms. Uma started the preparation after completing her B.Tech in 2017.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Uma shared her UPSC journey with us.
STILL SINKING IN
Ms. Uma comes from a family of civil servant. Her father is a police officer (state service) currently serving in Narayanpet district and her mother is a homemaker. She said, “The result is still sinking in. I am relieved now as it was my fifth attempt and second interview.”
Dreamt of becoming an IAS officer always, Ms. Uma thanks her parents for their support. Watching her father was the biggest inspiration for her, she says that since it was her fifth attempt so she just wanted to make it to the final list; but AIR 3 is the cherry on the cake.
When IM asked about the first thing she did after checking the result she replied, “I went to a temple with my parents. We are a spiritual family and we wanted to thank God for the blessing they bestowed upon us.”
CHANGED OPTIONAL
She didn’t enroll for any coaching classes for preparation. “I went to Delhi for a brief time period but didn’t like the atmosphere. So, I came back to Hyderabad and focussed on self-study and online materials.”
Ms. Uma who also worked for an online UPSC coaching institute during the Covid19 outbreak said that she changed her optional during preparation. First, she had chosen Geography but wasn’t getting the result. Then after discussing with her friends she changed it to Anthropology.
“Some of my friends have cracked with this subject. Also, it is a high scoring subject and the syllabus is short. I am glad that it worked,” said the topper.
FRIENDS GUIDED ME
The AIR-3 of UPSC CSE 2022 thanked her friends for the guidance. She didn’t take any coaching and only opted for a few mock tests. It was her friends who guided her through the preparation.
Not only did they suggest the study materials but also helped with her doubts. Ms. Uma says that they also motivated whenever she felt low.
