Pratibha grew up in a tiny village in the Sultanpur district of Uttar Pradesh. Pratibha left Sultanpur in 2010 in order to get better educational opportunities. She completed her B.Tech degree from the very prestigious IIT Delhi.
After completing her studies, she took up a job as a manager in Vodafone Company. But she had always been keen on government service.
In 2017 Pratibha made her first attempt at the UPSC Civil Services exam, but she could not qualify for the UPSC main. In 2018 Pratibha sat for the UPSC exam again.
This time she ranked 498 and was appointed as Assistant Commissioner in the Income Tax department of India. But in spite of having a respectable job, Pratibha was not yet satisfied.
She sat for the UPSC Civil Services exam again in 2019 and got herself her dream job as an IAS. Pratibha was in fact the female topper as well as all India third rank holder for her batch.
Pratibha’s UPSC Preparation
Pratibha was a very dedicated student and studied for nearly 16 hours daily. She learnt from each of her attempts in 2017 and 2018 and finally achieved her goal.
In order to keep herself motivated during this time she read many biographies of famous civil service officers. She was inspired by the struggles of people from her region who overcame all adversity to reach great heights.
As far as her Hindi medium background was concerned Pratibha felt that it did not have much impact on her.
She felt that students who have a good hold over languages like Hindi, Urdu and Sanskrit can choose those as their optional subjects and perform very well.
Pratibha admits that the materials available for UPSC preparation might be a little limited in Hindi, but what is available is enough to achieve great results.
Pratibha’s Booklist for UPSC Preparation
Pratibha focused on solving lots of practice papers before sitting for the exam. She also focused heavily on the NCERT books of History, Geography and Economics for her preparation.
The NCERT Social Science books for class 11 and 12 are also useful for the essay section and other dynamic questions. Pratibha used to spend two hours every day reading newspapers thoroughly to get a good idea of current affairs.
If she encountered the names of any government schemes in the newspaper, she researched the relevant ministry’s website to find more information on it.
UPSC Interview Experience
Pratibha was asked around 25 questions in her interview and each answer was also cross-questioned. A memorable question she was asked was on the positive developments seen in the Indian administration during the Covid period.
Pratibha felt that having a positive attitude and being proactive in finding solutions is essential for the interview process.
Pratibha is currently completing her IAS training and hopes to become an honest civil servant that works to uplift the needy.
Also Read : IAS Nitika Khandelwal Wiki: Everything about Her Posting, Ideology, Strategy
Biography of UPSC Topper Ravi Kumar Sihag
Source: instagram.com/p/Bug8GJmnJWr/
Ravi Kumar Sihag was brought up in Sriganganagar district of Rajasthan in a poor farmer’s family. He completed his education at a government school in his village. In 2015 Ravi also completed his education.
But for the next whole year, Ravi could not pursue his career goals. He needed to stay home and help his family as his sister was still unmarried. In 2016, after his sister’s marriage, Ravi finally started preparing for the UPSC Civil Services exam.
His Inspiring Journey
Even with his meagre income of 50,000 rupees yearly, Ravi’s father sent him to Delhi to take coaching classes for UPSC.
In 2018 Ravi finally gave the UPSC exam for the first time. He cracked it in his first attempt and made his family proud.
But Ravi had to face many obstacles in his journey. His Hindi medium background made it difficult for him to sometimes keep up with the coaching classes. But Ravi turned this obstacle into an advantage.
He chose two Hindi papers for his UPSC mains options and performed very well.
Glimpse of His Interview
When Ravi cracked the UPSC mains exam and was called for the interview, he was very nervous. He came from a poor family and his attire was a bit unkempt. But his interviewers asked him to relax.
He was asked about the major achievements and disappointments of the 16th Lok Sabha. Ravi learnt that in the UPSC interview it is always essential to present yourself professionally and express your opinions objectively.
Ravi Kumar Sihag’s life is a brilliant example that no matter the financial restraints if you remain dedicated to your goals and work hard regularly you will find success.
Conclusion
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Also Read : IAS Piyush Salunkhe Biography: Piyush Salunkhe Wiki Facts and Strategy
