IAS Saumya Pandey from Allahabad achieved her dream in the UPSC 2016 exam by securing a glorified 4th rank in the CSE. She achieved this unbelievable rank at a very young age that too on the very first attempt. This wonder woman completed her graduation in electrical engineering in 2015 and in the very next year, she not only cleared but also achieved the 4th rank.
Here in this article, you will get to know Saumya Pandey’s biography along with her UPSC preparation strategy. Read the article till the end to find the book list referred by her.
IAS Saumya Pandey Biography
Belonging from a well-educated family, she cracked UPSC in her first attempt in the year 2016. She got immense support from her parents when she decided to prepare for the examination.
She has always been good at her academics. She even was her district topper in class 10 with 98% and in class 12th with 97.8% marks. She did her schooling from Army School in Allahabad and has always been a good student.
At her graduation level, IAS Saumya Pandey was a gold medalist from the Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology.
Also Read: IAS Manish Bansal: An Inspiring Biography for UPSC Aspirants
Family
Dr. Sadhana Pandey (mother) and Ravi Pandey (father) gave birth to Saumya (father). She is a Hindu who comes from a well-educated family. Her mother is a well-known gynaecologist and obstetrician, while her father manages a Prayagraj-based computer training institute. She belongs to the Brahmin caste.
Early Life
She’s also a Kathak dancer with a lot of experience. Her parents enrolled her in a dance institute because she was interested in dancing. Prayag Sangeet Samiti was where she learned to dance. She is a really outgoing person. She is always curious about what goes on behind the scenes. She has been a brilliant student since she was a child.
She was not only bright academically, but also enjoyed extracurricular activities. She excelled as a basketball player. She was also the school’s captain. Her ambition is to work as a civil servant and give her all to the country. She wants to help women in some way.
Husband
In 2018, Nitin Gaur married Saumya Pandey, an IAS officer. She was recently in the news for returning to work before her maternity leave was up, and she was praised for her commitment to her job. His salary scale has now risen to Matrix 11 level.
Career Choices Post-MBBS: An Initiative to Mentor Medicos for their Ultimate Dream Career was just published by Gaur. The book costs $699 and has a reputation for being extremely useful for medical students.
Also Read: IAS Dr. Nitin Gaur Biography: Know more about IAS Saumya Pandey’s Husband
Struggle
She wanted to serve the country when she was studying engineering, so she began preparing for the UPSC in her last year to fulfil her dream. No one else in her family had ever studied for the Civil Services Examination, so she was in a completely new profession. She had no idea what she was talking about, as it was all new. She had no idea what’s significant and what’s not. Saumya, on the other hand, never gave up.
Inspirational Journey
She not only passed the exam, but she also received a gold medal in Engineering. So her first task was to locate the items she would require throughout her preparation. As a result, she decided to enrol in coaching programmes to help her prepare for the exam. Coaching classes assisted her in determining what she should study and what she required during her preparation. It also aided her in developing exam tactics.
IAS Saumya Pandey: Wiki
| Mother’s Name | Dr Sadhana Pandey |
| Father’s Name | Ravi Pandey |
| Saumya Pandey husband | IAS Nitin Gaur |
| Birthplace | Allahabad, India |
| Date of birth | 12/01/1994 |
| Saumya Pandey age | 27 (as per 2021) |
| Category | OBC |
| Saumya Pandey Rank | AIR 4 |
| No. of Attempts | 1 |
IAS Saumya Pandey: UPSC Marksheet
Given below is Saumya’s marksheet
| Essay (200) | 150 |
| GS 1 (300) | 103 |
| GS 2 (300) | 108 |
| Optional 1 (A) (300) | 112 |
| Optional 1 (B) (300) | 124 |
| Optional 2 (A) (300) | 156 |
| Optional 2 (B) (300) | 158 |
| Written Total (2000) | 911 |
| PT Marks (300) | 184 |
| Final Total (2300) | 1095 |
IAS Saumya Pandey: Early and Current Postings
She was originally appointed as Asst. Magistrate at Siddarth Naga after joining as an IAS official, from April 27, 2018, to September 2019. From September 24, 2019, to October 14, 2020, she served as a Joint Magistrate in Ghaziabad.
She has been appointed as the Chief Development Officer in Kanpur Dehat since October 14, 2020.
She had a halt in the middle because she was pregnant. But, she didn’t let her pregnancy affect her later career and after her delivery, she was back to work with her daughter. She has set an example for all the women out there, that being pregnant doesn’t mean women have to sit home. She can also focus on her career and make her dreams come true.
Pandey was authorized as the nodal officer for COVID-19 in July 2020 at Ghaziabad.
IAS Saumya Pandey: UPSC Strategy
She is an inspiration to all young people. She studied during her free time and passed the exam on her first try. She had put in a lot of effort to obtain the success she desired. She had chosen Uttar Pradesh as her first choice of cadre since she will find it difficult to relocate anywhere else.
Her UPSC optional subject was Geography. Here are her preparation tips and strategies that will help the aspirants score more.
Strategy for UPSC Prelims
For the UPSC prelims and mains, she used an integrated approach. She practised mock tests 1-2 months before the prelims exam.
Saumya just had to brush up on her arithmetic abilities a few days before the CSAT because she is an engineer. She also prepared for the exam by studying English comprehension. Saumya did not devote much time to the CSAT because it was only a qualifier.
GS Paper: Prelims
GS 1: Saumya studied all of the NCERTs for geography, history, sociology, political science and science and technology from class VI to class XII. She kept up with current events by reading internet sources such as the PIB and Hindu editorials.
Saumya advises that in the Prelims exam, you should attempt all of the questions that you are 100% certain about first, before going on to the other questions.
Strategy for UPSC Mains
Essay Paper: Saumya practised essays on current events every 15–20 days.
GS Papers
GS Paper I: She just read the NCERT texts and a few more novels. She read ‘Indian Polity’ by Laxmikanth, ‘India’s Struggle for Independence’ by Bipin Chandra, and ‘Indian Art and Culture’ by Nitin Singhania.
GS paper II: She also followed the CCRT’s culture and art page. Compared to GS Paper I, this paper offers a lot of current events, according to Saumya, who focused on monthly periodicals like Kurukshetra and Yojana.
GS paper III: The Economic Survey, current events, and budget highlights were the emphasis.
GS paper IV: Saumya practised case studies from UPSC previous years’ question papers.
Also Read: Year Time Table for UPSC Preparation: Latest Time Table for Prelims and Mains
Other Subjects: Mains
She concentrated on the science supplement of the Hindu newspaper for science and technology.
She also suggests using an online test series for the mains exam to help applicants improve their speed and get acquainted with the IAS exam’s atmosphere.
Language papers: There are two qualifying papers in this category: one in English and one in a regional language. Saumya Pandey was born in India and spoke Hindi. It is crucial to brush up on your language skills, even if they are simply qualifying in nature.
Strategy for UPSC Personality Test/ Interview
The first stage in interview preparation is to thoroughly fill out the DAF, as the UPSC board will almost certainly ask questions based on what you have written about yourself. They’ll inquire about your hometown, extracurricular activities, hobbies, and trophies and medals, among other things.
They will also ask inquiries about current events as well as situations. As a result, plan ahead of time and practise conducting the interview.
Your responses must be balanced, multifaceted, and logical.
Also Read: How do I Schedule Time Table for UPSC Preparation? Know the Strategy for Prelims and Mains
Books referred by IAS Saumya Pandey
India’s Struggle for Independence by Bipin Chandra.
Indian Polity by Laxmikanth.
Indian Art and Culture by Nitin Singhania.
NCERTs from class VI to class XII for subjects like history, geography, political science, sociology and science and tech.
Physical Geography by Savinder Singh
Human Geography by Majid Hussain
Indian Geography by D R Khullar
Also Read: How to Read Geography NCERT for UPSC? List of Geography Books for UPSC 2021
Conclusion
Every year, the UPSC conducts the Civil Services Examination, which everyone aspires to pass. However, it is one of India’s most difficult tests. As a result, many people find it difficult to pass it on their first attempt. But if you put your mind to it, anything is possible.
Hopefully, this inspiring biography on Saumya Pandey will motivate you to prepare well and even harder for the upcoming UPSC exam. For better preparation, you can always seek professional one to one mentorship so that expert mentors can guide you the right way. Best of luck!
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This IAS officer’s journey has shown the paths of life to me. This article has all the information about this civil servant to prove that women are creating wonders and developing the nation. Do you guys fund it interesting?