Being an officer in the Indian Administrative Service is a dream job among the youth of the country. More than 8 lakh aspirants appear in the UPSC civil service exams to become an officer in the IPS, IAS or any other public domain. It is not an easy journey from being an aspirant to become an IAS officer and serve the nation. To become an IAS officer, it is important that you read biographies and success stories of IAS officers who have succeeded in clearing the UPSC exams to show you the right direction.
Manish Kumar Verma is one of those candidates who have cleared the IAS exam in their first attempt and while he was a working professional. IAS exams are considered the toughest exams in India, so clearing it in your first attempt and that too while working is not an easy task. Continue reading to know more about IAS Manish Kumar’s preparation strategy, mark sheet, posting and wiki.
Manish Kumar Wiki
Manish Kumar’s UPSC rank was 61 in the 2017 civil service examinations. When he started preparing for the UPSC examinations he was a working professional at an investment banking firm called Deutsche Bank. He had completed his graduation in chemical engineering from one of the most prestigious institutes in the nation ‘ the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur’.
He began his preparation for the UPSC exams when he was a working professional. Manish has been a bright student ever since he was a child and that showed in his UPSC preparation as well.
Manish Kumar’s Schedule for the Day
IAS exams are one of the most difficult tests to crack and it is not easy for individuals who wholeheartedly prepare for them. Hence you can imagine how difficult it would be for an individual who also had a full-time job while preparing for the UPSC exams. Manish believes that it is not difficult to prepare for UPSC exams while working. Manish wanted to continue doing his job as a backup and began his preparation for the IAS attempt. Manish’s schedule for the day was as follows.
Schedule
- Manish would wake up early in the morning to study before he left for office. He believed that you need to study a concrete topic and think and observe about it while you are in office.
- Manish’s job would start at 12 and end at 8, but there were times when he would stay late in the office to study for the exam.
- Manish while visiting the gym would listen to lectures instead of songs to keep his mind fully engrossed in UPSC preparation.
- He would go to his office on weekends just to prepare so that no one can disturb him over there.
- He would also utilise his holidays as time was always a constraint for him.
Also Read: IAS Anjali Birla Wiki: Learn all about Her Marksheet, Strategy and Obstacles
Manish Kumar Strategy to Succeed
Manish believes that it is not only preparing that is important but preparing in the right direction is. That is the reason he was able to crack the UPSC exam while working in an MNC. His strategy was:
- Utilize your holidays: You will get a limited number of holidays while you are preparing for a job, hence pick up topics that require momentum and constant practice on long weekends.
- Utilize your time: If you are constantly exercising it is going to take one to two hours to complete your workout. Hence try to utilize it by listening to some videos related to UPSC preparation, hence your mind will be constantly at work.
- Try Study early in the morning: Pick up a topic of your choice and go through it once. You will constantly think about it even when you are at work.
Some more Tips from His Strategy
- Improve your observation power: Even when you are in a meeting or out socializing with colleagues try to observe your surroundings. Analyse different changes around you as there are a million things which you can learn from the environment.
- Do not waste time in office politics.
- Study smart and make short notes. You don’t have to read all the books and try to make your own schedule.
- It is all about self-control. You can still be active on social media sites but it is on you whether you are able to control yourself. These sites often change and refresh your mood.
Manish Kumar Optional Subject
Manish’s optional subject was psychology. Being an engineer and a banker he had multiple options to choose from but he still went for psychology, why right? Manish says that the scientific nature of the subject makes it interesting and logical as an optional. You can relate to it while preparing on so many levels and there is ample scope for an explanation in the exam with the help of real-life examples. Books and notes are easily available. Psychology can help in the Ethics paper because at times, psychology tends to get philosophical. Ethics is an abstract paper and psychology can help finetune the abstract nature of ethics and help you write better answers.
Also read: IAS Gaurav Dwivedi: Know the Man Behind MyGOV Initiative Who is also an IAS Officer
Conclusion
Manish Kumar’s IAS journey has taught us that it is not easy to clear the IAS exam. You need to burn the midnight oil in order to clear the prestigious test. IAS officers like Manish Kumar were able to clear the IAS exam even after doing a job side by side because they had a clear focus and vision. You can take tons of lessons from Manish’s journey.
You can read more about IAS preparation and courses at UPSC Pathshala or click here.
