“I didn’t even clear the prelims in my first attempt of UPSC exam; it was really heart breaking for me. Till that time, I had nothing else in mind apart from appearing for the civil services exam. Becoming an IAS officer was the only goal I was chasing for. I had no idea what else I would do in life. But this one failure changed everything, it taught me the real meaning of life. I learnt that it is important to dream big, but if you don’t succeed then it not the end of life. We should always have an alternative or our own backup plan,” these words of UPSC-2018 topper Ankita Choudhary should be remembered by every candidate who dreams of becoming a civil servant one day.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, Ms. Ankita Choudhary shares some valuable messages to UPSC aspirants. These are the messages which show that there is a world ahead of UPSC, and that world cannot be lost just for a dream. Ms Ankita may have secured the position of IAS in her second attempt in India’s toughest competitive exam by bagging an AIR 14, but the failure of her first attempt showed her the truth about life.
THE BEGINNING
Coming from Meham, a town in Rohtak district of Haryana, Ms Ankita belongs to an ordinary family. Her mother was a teacher and father worked in a sugar mill. Ankita had only one dream since childhood: that of becoming an IAS officer. She completed her early education in Meham itself. After that she graduated from Delhi and completed her post-graduation in MSc in Chemistry. After doing post-graduation, Ankita appeared for the UPSC exam for the first time and failed in the prelims.
Talking to Indian Masterminds, she said, “I always wanted to join civil services, but when I did my graduation, I felt that I was not fully prepared for this exam. So I decided to complete my post-graduation before appearing for UPSC. However, a big change came in my life after I failed in the prelims. This one failure gave a new meaning in my life and I started thinking that would my life end if I could not clear UPSC or should I start preparing for something else as an alternative!’’
She continued, “After thinking deeply about it, I understood that there is a lot in life even after UPSC. Sometimes a failure on your part in life can teach you a lot. I also worked on Plan B. If I could not join civil service, I would have done PhD or would have given some other exams. Nothing ever ends in life, just keep on trying to do better.”
Preparation and tips
Presently SDM in North-Gurugram, MsAnkita’s optional subject in UPSC was Public Administration (Public Administration). On this, she says “Till 2014, two optional subjects had to be taken in UPSC, so I had thought that I would choose one subject from science and one from arts. But when I had to choose only one optional subject, I chose Public Administration instead of science, because it would have helped me a lot in General Studies.
On her strategies for preparation, Ms Ankita says, “Everyone has their own strategy regarding preparation. But if I talk about myself, I believe in the strategy of ‘smart work’ than ‘hard work’. You should be very clear what to study, in how much time to study and most importantly when and how to revise it. Also, identify your mistakes and keep improving them. From giving mock tests before pre-exam to practice answer writing before the mains, all this should be an important part of your strategy. How to use facts and how much data to give is also very important. Also make short notes for revision in a better way of preparation. Work smart, don’t just keep reading.”
MESSAGE FOR GIRLS
Haryana cadre IAS officer Ms Ankita comes from a society where there are many restrictions for girls even today. But she has a special message for those girls. She says, “No girl should be scared in any part of the country, go ahead for what you have dreamed of. Whatever be the purpose of your life, try to fulfill it. After a while it doesn’t matter what you are, there is no point in dreaming about being a boy or a girl. What matters is how hard you work and how dedicated you are towards your goal. If you have proved yourself once, the society will have to bow down before you.”
She adds, “I wanted to study a lot and my parents always supported me in this. So more than the society it depends on your parents how much they support you.”
THIRD WAVE OF COVID 19
What are the measures being taken to fight the third wave of COVID-19? On this question of Indian Masterminds, Ms Ankita says, “We are making all the necessary preparations such as setting up oxygen plants, increasing ambulances and making arrangements for new beds in hospitals. It is a continuous process, on which we are working at a rapid pace. Right now, the steps we took to handle the second wave of corona are the benchmarks for us and on that basis, we are making all efforts to save the common people from the predicted third wave of Covid 19.”
Work smart and always have Plan B: this, in nutshell, is Ms Ankita’s message to the UPSC aspirants.
