A resident of Kotra village in Sikar district, Rajasthan, Preetam Kumar bagged AIR-9 in the UPSC CSE 201 results declared yesterday. However, his journey into UPSC wasn’t as smooth as one would think. He had to face multiple challenges and failed attempts before he could finally achieve his dream.
Indian Masterminds exclusively spoke with Preetam, who shared details about his life, journey, and UPSC preparation.
WISH COME TRUE
Preetam’s father, a Kargil war veteran, always wanted his son to join government services to serve the nation but in the early days, Preetam did not pay much heed to it.
However, later on, while in college, he analyzed his career options and found civil services to be a better career option than others. He acquired more information about it and liked the ideologies of the service and the power that it holds. That’s when he decided to get into the civil services.
UPSC PREPARATION
Preetam started preparing for the examination in 2018 and joined coaching for a year, in Delhi. However, later on, he decided to do self-study for the examination, and thus, began his journey toward civil services.
“My study pattern is that I study slow and try to grasp the depth of a subject, rather than moving quickly and retaining nothing. I have kept my sources limited and read them regularly. I keep on adding them whenever I spot an important piece of information that I feel is worth taking a look at. Then, when the exams approach, I go through all my notes and revise regularly,” Preetam told Indian Masterminds.
He sat studying in his room for long hours and gave ample time to single subjects. He considers Mathematics to be his strongest point and focused on it thoroughly which gave him good dividends.
CLEARED THE EXAM IN HIS THIRD ATTEMPT
This was not the first time that Preetam gave the examination. He sat for the exam twice before, but unfortunately, could not clear it. Both times, he made it to the interview level but missed it with a tiny margin.
“It was a breaking moment for me last time when I only got 132 marks in the interview. I felt miserable but with the unconditional support and love of my friends, I was able to overcome it, and prepare with an even stronger zeal,” says Preetam.
He had never imagined that he would not only clear the examination in this attempt but also bag AIR-9, and feature in the list of top 10. Expressing his happiness, Preetam said, “Even in the morning that the results were declared, I was hoping to be at least in the top 300. I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the result. This is truly the happiest moment of my life.”
FUTURE PLANS
Talking about his plans for his future in the service, Preetam stated that first and foremost, he will fulfill the defined responsibilities of his post, with all his strength and diligence. Further, he will try to maximize public welfare by interacting with them and involving their ideas in whatever he will take up.
MESSAGE FOR ASPIRANTS WHO COULDN’T CLEAR EXAM
From his personal experience, Preetam knows how it feels to search for one’s name in the results pdf and not find it. It leaves one disappointed and demoralized.
“I would ask the aspirants to not take it to heart. I understand that it hurts deeply for a few hours, but you should come out of it, collect yourself, and begin preparing from scratch once again. Believe in yourself and the final result will be worth it,” he says.
MESSAGE FOR ASPIRANTS
Preetam further wishes to spread the message that ‘hard work is the key’ to all aspirants who will give the exam in the years to come.
“Give your all to the preparation. Do not get diverted while preparing and keep all the distractions away from you. Focus only on your studies and goals.”
Preetam comes from a rural background and has mostly lived in hostels throughout his early education days. He was always good at sports and still loves playing them. By bagging AIR-9 in his third attempt, he has made everyone around him proud.
