IAS Nandini K R Wiki: Story of How Nandini Secured UPSC IAS AIR 1 in Four Attempts

Nandini K R IAS All India Rank 1, 2016. It took her four attempts to reach such a level. How was she able to pull off such a thing? Where Nandini K R has taken coaching for UPSC? If you are also having these questions, then great. In this article, we will discuss Nandini K R Biography. Read the article till the end to know Nandini K R Wikki facts.

Nandini K R Biography

Nandini K R is born and raised in Kembodi Village, Kolar, Karnataka. She did her schooling at Chinmaya Singh School, Kolar, Karnataka.  Nandini did her 12th from Alva’s P.U.College, Moodbidri, Karnataka, and secured 94.83 %. She was good at studies. Nandini did her graduation in Civil Engineering from  MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore.

Her father is a government school teacher and her mother is a housewife.  Becoming an IAS officer was Nandini’s childhood dream. After her graduation, she worked in PWD (Public Welfare Department). Being a teacher Nandini’s father used to take her to many literacy awareness camps. During that time she understood that district administrations can solve many problems at a grass-root level. This is where she had her first inclination towards Civil Services.

While doing her engineering she used to travel by bus from Kolar to Bangalore. This was the time to do a lot of thinking. Nandini is an extrovert and would talk with people sitting next to her on a bus. By talking to people she understood more about the problems faced by society. And this was it. Society became her inspiration to be an IAS officer.

Nandini K R IAS Journey

Nandini’s first attempt was in 2013 without any guidance and proper preparation. She missed the cut-off by just a few marks. Nandini was not upset about it, instead, she realized that if she does her preparation right, then this exam can be cracked and decided to go for the second attempt.

But Nandini had reached an age where asking for financial help from parents was a little embarrassing. Therefore she took a job as Assistant Engineer (AE) in Karnataka Public Welfare Department (PWD). The didn’t hold her back but it only helped her to understand the problems faced by the Administration.

Her Second Attempt

In the second attempt, she read basic books like NCERT, important newspapers. She chooses Kannada Literature as an optional subject. This time she understood what UPSC is expecting from candidates. Nandini was passionate about her optional subject. She really enjoyed studying it.

That’s why she always insists the aspiring candidates to choose optional which they are passionate about. Wherever she was overwhelmed by studying the vast syllabus then she would read Kannada Literature which would calm her.

Despite hard work in the right direction, she was not able to crack the exam.  This happened because she was not able to stick to the timetable because of the workload from the job. Doing multiple revisions was not possible. One important reason that she was not able to clear the exam was due to lack of answer writing practise within the exam time limit which leads to many unattempted questions in UPSC Mains.

Nandini K R Civil Services Exam Third Attempt

She was able to secure All India Rank 871 in her second attempt. She was selected for Indian Revenue Services (IRS).

Nandini after learning from her mistakes in the second attempt went on to give the UPSC IAS exam for the third time. This time she started her preparation by answer writing practice. But unfortunately, Nandini got ill and was diagnosed with Dengue due to which she couldn’t give Mains. Her patients and perseverance were tested in each and every stage of her preparation.

But there was nothing that would stop her from achieving her dreams. So Nandini K R stayed on her pursuit and went on to give the fourth attempt. This time she contacted Insightsonindia coaching for online classes.  She resigned from her PWD job and gave a fourth attempt while going through her training in Indian Revenue Services (IRS).

Nandini K R IAS Fourth Attempt! Persistence Always Pays Off

For the first two months, she prepared while attending physical training and classes, and it was exhausting. She was not enjoying her preparation as well as her training. Nandini is a firm believer that you should do what you enjoy. So she took Extraordinary Leave and went to Bangalore for preparation.

She focused on her weakness and followed the timetable which she made. Finally in UPSC CSE 2016, all her efforts paid off and she secured All India Rank 1.

Also Read: IAS Dr Renu Raj Biography: Here’s  How Dr Renu Raj Cracked UPSC in Her First Attempt

Nandini K R Wiki Facts

• Age: 30 years
• Home Town: Kembodi Village, Kolar, Karnataka
• School: Class 10th- Chinmaya Singh School, Kolar, Karnataka
• School: Class 12th- Alva’s P.U.College, Moodbidri, Karnataka
• Graduation: Civil Engineering
• Institute: MS Ramaiah Institute of Technology, Bangalore
• Number of Attempts: Four
• Category: OBC
• Hobbies: Reading, Playing, Volleyball
• UPSC All India Rank: 1 (2016)
• Current Posting: Ballari Zilla Parishad (ZP), Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Some of FAQ about Nandini K R

• Is Nandini K R from OBC category?

Yes

• Where is Nandini K R posted?

Ballari Zilla Parishad (ZP), Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

• Where Nandini K R has taken coaching for UPSC?

Insightsonindia

Nandini K.R. Marksheet

Subject	Marks
Essay (Paper-I)	142
General Studies I (Paper-II)	131
General Studies II (Paper-III)	103
General Studies III (Paper-IV)	116
General Studies IV (Paper-V)	104
Optional I (Kannada Literature)	164
Optional II (Kannada Literature)	167
Interview	193
Total	1120

Also Read: IAS Shivani Goyal Biography: Check-out UPSC Preparation Strategy of IAS Rank 15

Conclusion

Nandini K R taught us that we should follow what we love. No matter how many problems you face you will always find a way out if you love what you do. Learning from your past mistakes is not just applicable for cracking UPSC but also important in your daily life.

If you find her journey inspiring as we are, then let us know in the comment section below!