Swati Sharma, a 25-year-old girl from a small middle-class family, lives in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, with her parents, younger brother, and grandmother. Her father works in transportation, while her mother is a ‘stay-at-home mom’. This humble and simple family never expected that one day their young girl would offer them so much pride that their entire world would change!
This happened when the UPSC CSE 2022 results were announced and they discovered that she had not only cleared the difficult exam but had also secured AIR-15!
Indian Masterminds spoke exclusively with her to know more about her journey.
FULFILLING HER FATHER’S DREAM
Swati’s father had always wanted to see his daughter work as an IAS officer. Swati, an engineering graduate, thought she would be happier working in a corporate environment, but her father’s wishes were constantly at the back of her mind.
She soon realised that a corporate job would not bring her happiness. She desired more. She glanced around and noticed the social concerns in our environment, and the terrible state of women’s safety, and realised that as a civil servant, she would be able to influence society and contribute to its betterment.
“That’s when I decided that I should follow my heart and fulfil my father’s lifelong dream of seeing me become a civil servant,” she told Indian Masterminds.
TWO FAILED ATTEMPTS
UPSC CSE 2022 was Swati’s third attempt at the exam. During her first attempt in 2020, she wasn’t able to clear the Prelims exam and during her second attempt in 2021, she cleared the Prelims and Mains, and gave her interview round but, unfortunately, wasn’t selected further.
She knew she had to put in a little more effort when she failed her second attempt and started preparing afresh. She chose Sociology as her optional subject as the resource materials were readily available in the market and the issue attracted her in general.
PREPARATION
She identified her mistakes from the previous attempts and tried her best to rectify those. Swati concentrated on her presentation, adding facts and numbers to her preparation. Instead of writing in paragraphs, she used bullet points or flow charts to make it easier for the examiner to understand.
“For the interview round, I did mirror practices to improve my communication skills so I could communicate my answers properly to the panel. I asked questions to myself and then answered them. It helped me a lot,” shared Swati.
During her interview round, Swati was asked questions about OTT platforms and how they influence the position of women in society. She struggled a bit to form a good answer in her mind but ultimately went through it and impressed the board members.
‘PARENTS ARE MY PILLARS OF STRENGTH’
Swati shares that her parents are her pillars of strength and have supported her in every way possible. “It’s not mine, but OUR dream that has come true!” she shared.
Swati wants to use her position as an IAS officer to benefit her country and people. She aspires to improve the status of women in society by providing them with financial freedom and skills that will allow them to be self-sufficient.
“I want to work for women’s safety as well so that no woman is afraid to go anywhere at any time and their families also feel safe when their daughters are moving to other cities or states for studies or to progress further,” she shared with Indian Masterminds.
Apart from women’s safety, Swati also wishes to work towards education for one and all and contribute to the social development of the country.
