In the year 2015, the elder daughter of the Dabi family, Tina Dabi, made headlines for becoming UPSC topper with All India Rank 1. Now, after five years, Ria Dabi, the younger daughter of the family, is in news for acing UPSC 2020 with All India Rank 15.
ON PREPARING HERSELF
Speaking exclusively to Indian Masterminds, Ria highlighted the reasons for being able to clear UPSC in the very first attempt. Firstly, she maintained consistency in her studies. “I had a timetable and fixed targets which I used to achieve daily, this helped me in covering the vast UPSC syllabus. Secondly, revision is another very important point as, the more you remember, the more you can score in the exam. Thirdly, this exam requires a lot of discipline and patience as people have to make a lot of sacrifices to cope up with the preparation,” she revealed.
Ria followed all these steps and was determined to clear the exam in the very first attempt. Apart from using the messaging app, Ria stayed away from social media and limited her time with friends.
ON CHOOSING SUBJECTS AND BOOKS
Ria did her schooling and graduation from Delhi, from the Convent of Jesus and Mary and Lady Shri Ram College, respectively.
She said, “My optional subject was Political Science as I had studied the same subject in my graduation. I picked up most of the study material from the graduation course. I read the basic books related to the subject. I had a lot of material in the form of notes and handouts which I used to revise regularly and, also, practiced answer-writing for the mains exam.”
ON HER MOTHER’S SUPPORT
Ria’s mother Himani Dabi, who is a former Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer, is the main person who encouraged both the daughters on the road to success. Ria said, “My mother wanted both of us to be in the civil services as it is a very prestigious profession. After my sister topped the exam in 2015, my motivation to appear in the exam became even stronger.”
Talking about how her mother helped in her preparation, she said, “My mother created such a supportive environment in the house that I could study quietly without any burden of any household responsibility. Since my sister had already cleared the exam before, she, too, always gave me small tips to prepare for the exam.”
ON HER NEXT GOAL
Having crossed a big milestone in her life, Ria has now set another goal for herself. Her goal is to focus on women empowerment during her career. She now wants to make the best use of her training so that she learns how the administration works and how she can work within it to achieve her goal. She says, “I will encourage young girls to venture out into various fields like medical, agriculture, industry etc., as I believe that women are the future of our nation, and we need to give them that space.”
