She cleared UP PCS prelims on her first try, but could not pass the Mains. On her second attempt, she reached the Interview-round, but could not make it into the final list. But as the saying goes “When the going gets tough, the tough get going”, Ms. Divya Sikarwar topped UP PCS in her third attempt.
For someone who always excelled in school and college, failing twice to secure state civil services, was disheartening. However, she did not give up and with the support of her family, she topped the Uttar Pradesh Civil Services Exam (UP PCS) in April 2023.
So her mantra to every aspirant is “never give up in any situation” and whenever you feel down, just go to your family, friends, or near and dear ones and have a chat.
Ms. Divya Sikarwar, who secured the top rank in UP PCS-2022, is inspiring at every level.
It is an example for every small village girl who wants to make it big one day.
Ms. Sikarwar’s dream is only beginning to be realised, but this is not her ultimate goal. As she spreads wide her wings more, her aim is to crack the UPSC exam.
“I want to crack one of the toughest exams in the country,” Ms. Sikarwar told Indian Masterminds in a humble but confident tone as she gets ready to crack the UPSC.
“The journey of every candidate who passed this exam is equally inspiring am sure,” she said as she recalled her ups and downs. “After failing twice I was broken and would have given up had it not been for my family, who stood rock-solid by me,” she added.
It is this support system that she gives 100 percent credit to that gave her the courage to discuss everything.
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BACKGROUND
Hailing from Agra, Divya completed her primary education in a village near the Taj City.
While graduating from St John’s Degree College in Computer Science Statistics, she decided to prepare for the civil services exam. But it was not until after post-graduation in Statistics that she could start preparing properly.
STRATEGY
Ms. Divya started her preparation in 2019 and took her first attempt in 2020. Amid the pandemic, she was studying online. She kept sociology as the optional choice.
She said, “I kept my sources limited. Whatever I read, I revised. I used to set everyday targets and fulfilled them on time.”
She used to make notes from her online classes and studied from like Spectrum, History Book, M. Laxmikanth’s book on Indian Polity, and NCERT, which is a must for all aspirants.
“Online platforms can help a lot. The digital era is a boon,” she said, adding “Whatever I did not understand I watched the videos available on YouTube for that.”
INTERVIEW ROUND
She had a tough round of Interview as she was grilled for her choice of optional subject.
“I was asked situational questions from my optional subject which were difficult. There were questions related to marriage, family, and work from sociology, she said.
She was asked to explain how she would work in rural areas with new ideas.
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THE MANTRA
She advised aspirants to pay close attention to the syllabus. “Keep your sources limited. Timely revision is a must. Study regularly and read sincerely. If you ever feel hopeless, talk to your parents,” she said.
Daughter of a retired BSF jawan and a homemaker mother, with two younger brothers, one of whom is in UP Police, Ms. Divya Sikarwar’s journey will inspire many young girls from the heartland and beyond.
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