Have you heard about the medical student who decided to take the Civil Services Exam? Who is Nitin Gaur and why was he in the news at the beginning of his career? What was his UPSC rank and which year did he clear the exam? How many attempts did it take him before he qualified for the exam?
Find the success story of Dr Nitin Gaur and his strategy towards the exam. Read about Nitin Gaur’s biography and his postings since he joined as an IAS officer. Read the article to get answers to all the above questions about IAS officer Saumya Pandey’s husband.
Nitin Gaur Biography
Nitin Gaur is a Delhi-born medical student who pursued civil services during his graduation. Born on 20th November 1984, Gaur finished his MBBS from the University College of Medical Sciences and his MD from Lady Hardinge Medical College in New Delhi. He attempted the UPSC CSE 6 times before he cleared the exam in 2016 during his MD. He is currently working as a Chief Development Officer in Mathura. He was initially posted as a Joint Magistrate in Muzaffarnagar in August 2016, followed by Gonda and Mathura.
Personal and Professional Details
Nitin Gaur was married to IAS Officer Saumya Pandey in 2018. She was recently in the news for joining work before her maternity leaves expired, and was appreciated for her dedication towards her work. His pay scale has currently reached up to Matrix 11.
Gaur recently wrote a book by the name of Career Choices Post-MBBS: An Initiative to Mentor Medicos for their Ultimate Dream Career. The book has been priced at ₹699 and has been known to be quite useful for medical students.
Also Read: IAS Office Saumya Pandey’s Inspiring Journey
Nitin Gaur’s IAS Strategy
Unlike other success stories of UPSC Toppers, Dr. Nitin Gaur did not clear the UPSC exam in his first attempt. It took him six attempts to try out different strategies and methods before he could crack the key to the exam. According to him, one should follow the below for their UPSC preparation.
Things to Keep in Mind Before you Start Preparing
Gaur explains that before starting with the preparation, one should start by understanding that the need to remain positive about the whole ordeal. Instead of worrying about their failure, they should assure themselves that they can clear the exam and that it is not that difficult to do it. Secondly, they should start working on their writing skills for their Mains, and analyze the questions so they know how to answer the types of questions provided. Their answers should not be too wordy, and instead, be concise and to the point. Once they’re done with the Mains, they should start preparing for the Prelims.
Prelims
It is very important to study extensively for the Prelims exam since the questions can be relevant to the times and dynamic in nature. Some of the important concepts he suggests one to focus on include history, geography, economics, environment, and agriculture. He explains that selective study cannot work for General Studies in the Prelims because you would be underprepared if you don’t study everything in detail.
He goes on to say that one should pick up selective books for every subject and notes from coaching classes to prepare and revise them at regular intervals. Testing your knowledge through tests regularly is also recommended.
Also Read: An Easy-To-Follow IAS Study Plan For Working Professionals
Mains
For the Mains exam, he suggests that you read every important concept in detail for every subject. You can start by preparing a study plan determining the concepts and subjects you’d like to begin with, and then a time table for the same.
It is important that you maintain consistency throughout your preparation, and keep practicing your writing skills to maintain an idea about the time limit and to understand the kind of structure that is needed for your answers.
Interview
Gaur says that the interview is taken by an extremely knowledgeable board of directors. While the interview takes 30 minutes in total, they assess your capabilities within the first 10 minutes itself. Instead of lying about your opinions to form an impression, present your honest views about situations to them with proper evidence.
The questions asked in the interviews are mostly based on your personal life and hobbies, current affairs, and the detailed forms filled by candidates. If you don’t know the answer to any of the questions, you can honestly tell the interviewers about it.
Conclusion
It is thus important that you understand from the experience of Nitin Gaur who did not give up on the exam and cleared the Civil Service at the age of 31. While his caste and category have not been known, it is obvious that it was his dedication towards the exam that got him through the whole process.
He emphasizes the fact that if you have the right attitude towards the exam and believe in yourself, then you can be a part of the IAS. Despite the difficulties he faced at the beginning of his career where he had to attempt the exam several times, and then travel in public transport despite being allotted a government vehicle but not issued one, his will power is what got him through all the obstacles, and he inspires others to stay strong as well.
Also Read: Checkout IAS Junaid Ahmed’s Biography
