With a hobby like strength training, it has always been Kritika Goyal’s ambition to be a strong woman. And this feeling is clearly visible in her attitude.
She vows by a quote by Michael Jordan, the greatest basketball player, that says: ‘Be true to the game, the game will be true to you. If you try shortcut, the game will shortcut you.’
For someone, who grew up following Kobe Bryant and Jordan, she feels the rule applies to all walks of life and UPSC too.
In her first two attempts, she did not get past prelims. She even failed her CSAT in the second attempt.
She, however, managed to get into the reserved list with her third try. But UPSC CSE-2022 was a different story in the making as she got All India Ranking 14 in her fourth attempt.
Applying her “Mul Mantra” she said that she did not prepare for CSAT in her second attempt and she failed. “Then, I did not give many tests for mains in third attempt and UPSC got me there too. But this time I went all out,” says this future hero.
FAMILY LEGACY
Kritika is from Haryana’s Sonipat and comes from a family of officers. Her father RP Goyal is Judge in Sonipat and mother is teacher. Her brother is an IPS officer. Her cousin sister and Brother-in-law both are an IAS. They all are 2019 batch officers. Her cousin brother is a 2020 IDES officer.
Justice RP Goyal is well known for his decisions in the Maruti factory violence case, in which 13 out of 31 workers were given life imprisonment.
Kritika, herself a Law Graduate and who is currently undergoing training in DANICS and is attached to New Delhi Municipal Corporation, told Indian Masterminds: “It was an enriching journey. Despite many ups and down, I came out as a better person than when I started.”
SUPPORT SYSTEM
Her family has been her backbone throughout her UPSC journey. Her mother has been her go to person. She calls her mother her 3 AM friend.
She used her brother’s notes to study. He also guided her with strategies.
She wrote numerous test series at home and her copies were checked by her IAS brother-in-law. She and her cousin brother prepared together. He helped her a lot with her prelims. Her cousin sister advised her every step of the way.
UPSC
In her last year of graduation, she took the UPSC plunge. There was no coaching and she only relied on self-study. But she gave many mocks and tests series at various centre.
Her optional was Law.
Her strategy was focused on giving test series and repeated revisions. She always aimed to complete her many test series on time.
She said, “Aspirants while preparing should envision themselves in the exam hall and proceed accordingly. Best to create exam-like atmosphere at home and maintain time limit like in a real-time exam at a UPSC centre.”
FUTURE OF CS
Her interview was 50 percent DAF questions and rest general questions from various fields. She was asked about civil services and how does she sees its future. She answered questions on Economy and polity, besides caste census and delimitations.
BE PATIENT
Giving suggestions to future aspirants, she said, “Be true to your journey. One should have patience on this journey – it is the biggest asset. Next is consistency. If you are not consistent, then you will never qualify it. If you miss one day, then next day you must study.”
Her future mission is to “implement government priorities the right ways. If things are being done at grassroots level, then it will help. I will try to do that.”
