https://indianmasterminds.com

ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT

UPSC Mains ‘Came In Handy’ For This UP PCS Topper

· Mr Shantun Sinsinwar ranked 11th in UP PCS on his third try in 2022  · He also gave his UPSC Interview this year after 3 consecutive failures · He appeared for both exams within a span of 10 days and that proved helpful
Indian Masterminds Stories

Shantun Kumar Sinsinwar from Bharatpur Rajasthan cracked both UPSC and UP PCS this year.

However, they were not his first attempts, nor did success come easy. And yet such thrilling was his finish lines in both races that it left behind an exhausted soldier.

He wrote his UPSC mains and UP-PCS mains within a gap of 11 days in 2022, and that he believes did the trick for him. Now he is all set to appear for his UPSC interview with already 11th rank of UP PCS in his kitty.

“I wrote 17 papers in 51 hours in around 17-18 days last year. My shoulders fell off,” Mr. Sinsinwar could not help but laugh as he told Indian Masterminds in an exclusive conversation.

SHANTUN’S GOLIATHS

Son of a teacher from Rajasthan, Shantun said, “I have had so many failures that I kept on failing. Whatever exam I would give, I failed,”

For five years he was also unable to crack the maze. “Even if I passed prelims, I would not crack the mains,” says the Kota coaching alumnus. 

Then in 2022, he realised that even if some parametres were different for the state and UPSC CSE their basic nature are same. “UPSC is analytical-based and UP PCS is fact-based exam.

So my experience of writing mains UPSC came in handy in UP PCS,” Mr. Sinsinwar said. 

Writing UPSC mains papers prepares one better for the state civil service exams, says the B.Tech who did not taste any success in CSEs from 2019 to 2021.

PREPARATION

Now a deputy collector, who can be an IAS this year, Mr. Sinsinwar started with his CSE preparation while in his final year in Industrial and Production Engineering from NIT, Jalandhar, in 2018. 

He moved to Delhi and joined coaching for UPSC CSE in June, 2018. He studied current affairs related to UP and some UP-specific topics for his PCS. 

Although Hindi is mandatory in UPPCS. He could not devote much time. “I had last studied Hindi in class 12. I could only do some selective preparation from Ghatna Chakra,” he added.

His optional was Political Science and International Relations (PSIR) and he was thorough with Polity, History and General Science. 

“I solved many mock tests and aptitude test for UPSC that gave me the advantage,” he said. “I even left one question UP PCS Mains exam,” said Mr. Sinsinwar, who still ranked 11th in the state civil exams.

INTERVIEW

His interview for UP PCS lasted 25 minutes. He answered questions on his choice of optional, his pick between engineering and civil services, besides being asked to name 5 kinds of millets. 

Some of the questions were:
How would you promote Millets production in Bundelkhand region of Uttar Pradesh?

The hierarchy of UP govt’s revenue administration?

Which is more important, responsibility without authority or authority without responsibility?

Then there were situation-based questions “You are posted as SDM, and your seniors and local MPs and MLAs are pressurising you to do illegal work. What will you do?

“You are the SDM of Jhansi, how will you promote farmer’s income?

GURU MANTRA

Mr Shantun advises aspirants not to take up civil services under any pressure, “else your career will be ruined”, he says. 

“You will meet many failures during the Civil Services preparation, but how you tackle those failures will build you up for the future,” he reflects.


Indian Masterminds Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Related Stories
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
NEWS
SAIL resized
SAIL Bags 'Star Performer' Award from EEPC for Export Excellence During Pandemic Years - Check Here To Know More
NFL _ National Fertilizers Limited
National Fertilizers Ltd Faces Rs. 94.84 Crore Tax Demand Over GST Refunds
Screenshot 2025-05-31 204103
PM Modi Launches Major Thermal Power Projects in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh - Check All Details
IRCON
IRCON Bags Rs. 1,068 Crore Contract for Ganga Rail Bridge in Bihar - All Details Inside
retirement
3 Senior Executives to Retire from Key PSUs in India, P V Ravitej Concludes 38-year Long Journey With BPCL - All Details Inside
Rajiv Krishna IPS
Breaking: IPS Rajeev Krishna Appointed as Acting DGP of Uttar Pradesh, Becomes 5th Consecutive Officer in Acting Role - Know More About Him
Bihar Government-resized-IM
47 IAS Officers Reshuffled in Bihar Ahead of Polls, 17 Districts Get New DMs, 5 New Commissioners - Check Circular Here
PSUs
PSUs: IRS Anurag Prasad Repatriated Early for Promotion; IAS M Muthukumar Appointed Director (Finance) at BHAVINI
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
Modernising Governance: A Digital Transformation in Gangtok
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Abhishek Singh's SECRET: Vipassana, Anthropology & Smart Answer Writing | Video Interview 
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
From Gwalior to the Top 20: What Drove Finance Pro Madhav Agarwal to Crack UPSC CSE 2024 with AIR 16? | Exclusive
ADVERTISEMENT
UPSC Stories
ANUBHAV SINGH UPSC IFS 2024
9 Years, 8 Attempts, 7 Failures: How Anubhav Singh Cracked UPSC IFS 2024 with AIR 3 Against All Odds | Exclusive
Anubhav Singh’s inspiring journey to UPSC IFS Rank 3 showcases relentless perseverance, strategic preparation,...
Jogender Sihag
“I Cleared UPSC, But My Grandfather isn’t Here to Hear it,” Jogender Sihag, AIR 521, UPSC CSE 2024
"Life is short; make the most of it, whether in civil service or any other field. Just have a clear vision...
WhatsApp Image 2025-05-28 at 18.56
Didn’t Clear UPSC But Found Something Greater: A Story That Will Change How You See Success
She left a top finance job for UPSC, did not clear but built a thriving wellness brand instead. Veda's...
Social Media
parveen kaswan elephant
Elephant Outsmarts Electric Fence! IFS Parveen Kaswan Shares Incredible Video!
In the now-viral 51-second clip, the intelligent giant approaches a wooden pole supporting high-voltage...
UPSC Latest IAS IPS IFS
UPSC CSE Prelims 2025 Tomorrow: ICLS Officer Altap Shaikh Shares Last-Minute Motivation for Aspirants
His five-post thread offers encouragement, practical advice, and emotional support - not just for those...
Anupam Sharma IFS
#BoycottTurkey: IFS Officer Anupam Sharma Sparks Nationalist Call to Action
IFS Sharma urged citizens to avoid Turkish agricultural imports
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Latest
SAIL resized
SAIL Bags 'Star Performer' Award from EEPC for Export Excellence During Pandemic Years - Check Here To Know More
NFL _ National Fertilizers Limited
National Fertilizers Ltd Faces Rs. 94.84 Crore Tax Demand Over GST Refunds
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT
Videos
IAS Tushar G Nikhare
IMG-20250523-WA0036
Madhav Agarwal UPSC
ADVERTISEMENT
ADVERTISEMENT