IAS Rishita Gupta Biography: Rishita Gupta’s UPSC Strategy and Recommended Book List

The UPSC CSE is not just an examination; it’s a process. A process that is enriching, which requires optimum endurance, and which could refine your personality in a way you could never think of.

Rishita, born and brought up in Delhi, considers life another name of uncertainty. This is probably because whatever she thought or planned in her life was very different from what happened. But she was not afraid of struggles and Rishita accepted every change of life by spreading her arms and never complained about why this happened to her. Perhaps that’s why she finally got such a success that everyone’s eyes were torn.

In her first attempt, Rishita surprised the world and bagged UPSC AIR rank 18 at a young age.

Let’s have a deep look at Rishita Gupta’s biography, rank, marks, posting and strategy.

Rishita Gupta Wiki and Early Life

Rishita Gupta was born and brought up in Delhi. She did her class 12 with one of the most dreaded combinations of physics, chemistry, biology, and maths. She wanted to pursue medicine and become a doctor. However, fate always has something else in store for us. Circumstantially, she ended up doing English literature in her under graduation. It was through days, months and nearly a year later she decided to go for civil service as a career option.

Wiki Facts

• Year: 2018
• Optional Subject: Public Administration
• Attempt: 1st
• AIR: 18

Marksheet:

• Written: 879
• Interview: 180
• Total: 1059

Also Read: Sakshi Garg Wiki: An Insight into UPSC IAS Officer Biography

Rishta Gupta Coaching Material and Recommended Book List

Other than the compulsory NCERTs and basic books that are common for the UPSC preparation, here is the list of recommendations by Rishita Gupta.

1. Vision and Insights monthly current affairs compilations
2. Insights daily quiz, prelims test series, revision modules (for prelims)
3. Insights mains test series
4. Crash course channel by John Greene on YouTube (mainly for world history, ethics)
5. A series of Harvard lectures on ethics
6. Big Picture and Security Scan shows of RSTV
7. 2nd ARC reports (she read all of them and made notes on it). It helped her in almost all GS papers and Public administration
8. Yojana magazine
9. Some books other than syllabus- The Difficulty of Being Good by Gurcharan Das; Great by choice by Tim Collins, Does Elephant dance by David M Malone
10. Pradhan Mantri series on ABVP news channel (it was her only source for India post-independence)
11. RSTV documentaries, CNBC explains
12. Articles of Bloomberg, Washington Post, Economist (very seldom reading and that too on topics with high relevance and International ramifications)
13. StudyIQ videos (Only in case of difficult news events)

Rishita Gupta Strategy for UPSC Preparation

1. Improving articulation skills by discussing important things with serious relatives/ friends/ cousins
2. Leveraging your graduation subject. Although she didn’t opt for English literature as her optional, yet she tried using several skills learned. For instance, writing speed. People from any background can make a list of technical skills learned in the past and try incorporating them.
3. Adhering to Introduction-Body-Conclusion pattern in ALL questions. It might take time, but you can work on it in advance. She also followed more or less a standard style of answer writing.

Some more of Her Strategy

1. Tried stimulating a similar atmosphere of the exam while doing the test series at her house. For instance, she gave herself a five-day spree in which she wrote nine papers of mains. She did this exercise nearly fifteen days prior to actual mains. The only aim of this exercise was to make her body, mind, and soul adapt to the strenuous event.
2. Made flashcards of the most important events, incidents, news, concepts before prelims, mains, and interviews. This enabled a quick revision of everything she wanted to grasp at the last moment.
3. Writing at least five to ten answers per day post prelims. This is in addition to the test series.

Also Read: IAS Ankita Chaudhary Wiki: Biography, Education, Age, Posting, Rank & Facts to Know

Conclusion

Rishita always said, “this exam is indeed difficult, unpredictable, challenging. An easy, certain, simple, and doable strategy would help to get through this. If you feel low, emotionally exhausted, mentally drained; then switch off the light, turn on small lamps/ fairy lights/ candles, play Passenger’s songs, and drink coffee. The things might seem beautiful for a while, if not easy!” And this advice truly resounds. Try it, it is sure to work.