Just days after trainee IRS officer Preeti Kumari cracked the UPSC CSE-2022 for a second time, she took a walk down memory lane to when her dream for civil services was ignited. Her flashback throws up one message for future aspirants “carpe diem”.
Coming from a family of big achievers and prominently well known in the city of Samastipur, Ms. Kumari shared: “In 2010, Shah Faesal Sir topped the Civil Services. I decided to pursue this dream around the same time, for reasons of my own.”
She was in Class 9 then, she tweeted the flashback: “driven by the idealism of civil services. Sir, became the face of what I was dreaming.”
Come 2023, and she in her fifth attempt has bettered her ranking, jumping from AIR-242 to 130, ensuring IAS selection.
In a series of tweets, she also talked about her fan moment when in LBSNAA she had a chance to meet her idol. Mr. Faesal. She also posted his photocopied interview from more than a decade back that continues to be pinned on her table top.
Her first attempt at CSE was in 2018, just after her graduation in 2017. Unaware of her vow “Cos’ Mussoorie ki dharti pe kadam selection ke baad hi rakhungi”, her parents planned an impromptu trip to Dehradun in June that year.
With not much to explore in Dehradun, her father decided to take the hills despite strong objection from Preeti.
“I cried for a day, putting my foot down on it. And then suddenly while walking back away from Robber’s cave with my family, I realised that I don’t know what the future holds. I don’t know when and how I will get to go to Mussoorie. But I have my parents and sibling now and here and that is important.”
This was after her first prelims and she adds,” that day made me realise that reaching LBSNAA will not be the ultimate moment. The journey to LBSNAA will be the ultimate journey. The arrival will be ordinary, just another day that will pass in a jiffy”.
A day after the UPSC CSE 2022 results were announced, she was at LBSNAA. During a trek she chanced upon Mr Faesal “the person who has been so cardinal in my journey”
“And that is the magic of this universe, the coming together of stories, the unfolding of destiny,” says AIR-130 rank holder, who is the granddaughter of retired Head of Department of Psychology, Dr. Hariprasad Rai’ and daughter of scientist father Kumar Lalbabu and MHA employee mother Dr. Neelam Kumari.
Preeti completed her schooling from a private school in Patna. And graduation in Political Science from Miranda House in Delhi University.
Last year, she secured 242nd rank in her fourth attempt. By achieving success in UPSC on the strength of self-study, Preeti has inspired the students who are currently preparing.
