Many take risks to fulfil their dream and one such officer is IPS Shahnaz Illyas. Ms. Illyas took risk of enrolling herself for the country’s most difficult and prestigious examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission during her maternity leave, while she was in the final months of her pregnancy.
The 2021 batch IPS officer went on to crack the UPSC CSE 2020 in her first attempt with All India Rank 217. She is currently posted as Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) under training, Erode, Tamil Nadu cadre.
THE DREAM
The dream of getting into the government services started taking shape when she was on maternity leave from her IT sector job and was looking forward to utilising her time effectively.
She began self-studying for the Tamil Nadu Public Service Commission (TNPSC). Despite of being heavily pregnant, she attempted the state service exam and passed the Prelims in first try with just two months of preparation.
This boosted her to take on the UPSC CSE. But the deciding factor was how she would handle her baby and the preparation for the toughest exam. This boosted her to take on the UPSC CSE. But the deciding factor was how she would handle her baby and the preparation for the toughest exam.
“When it comes to UPSC preparation, you have to make some sacrifices,” Ms. Illyas has been quoted by the media. Ms. Illyas was fortunate to have a strong support system. Being aware of her burning ambition, her parents took on the full-time responsibility of her little daughter. Their unwavering support helped her clear the exam in her first attempt.
STRATEGY
Ms. Illyas used to plan out for the entire month on how much she needs to acquire and which subjects to cover in how much time. This way, she could stick to her plans. When it came to preparation for any test, be it UPSC or another competitive exam, one has to be self-disciplined, settle goals and adhere to them and that’s what she followed. “Undoubtedly, you will feel discouraged along the way, but self-motivation is essential,” she added.
“When I used to feel down or get bad grades in mocks, I would go for night walks alone and be my own mentor to push myself. I talked to myself and said I can and will accomplish it. In this way, I self-motivated and lived through the two years of preparation,” she says.
IPS Shahnaz Illyas is a perfect example to all those women who leave their dreams behind because of various reasons. She chose to chart her destiny and she did.
