This story is about IAS Saumya Agarwal who cleared the UPSC examinations to become a part of the esteemed Civil Services in India. Saumya Agarwal’s journey is a strong motivation for all those who aspire to move ahead in their lives by choosing civil services. Read along to know about IAS Saumya Agarwal’s strategy, rank, and current posting.
IAS Saumya Agarwal is amongst the few people who left their existing professional lives to preparing full-time for the IAS exams. This requires serious dedication and effort since there is no turning back and there lies only one way ahead. Saumya succeeded in fulfilling the IAS dream and made a virtuous and respectable career for herself.
Saumya Agarwal Wiki
Saumya completed her early schooling education at Saint Mary’s Convent in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, after which she moved to Delhi University for her higher studies. After completing her degree, she finally got placed in a software-based company in Delhi. She further joined a private company in Pune in 2004. From this company, Saumya got the opportunity to move to London.
It was then that Saumya finally started to feel an absence in her life. She was bothered by staying away from her country and parents. She strongly intended to move back to India and do something for the people of her country. After having discussed with her father about jobs in India, Saumya Agarwal made up her mind to prepare for the Civil Services examination.
Saumya Agarwal Biography- The Journey for IAS
Saumya left her job in London after 2 years of working and finally moved back to India in 2006. She began her preparation for the UPSC examinations at her home in Lucknow. She also enrolled in a coaching class in Delhi for 3 months. After one year of dedicated efforts and preparation, Saumya appeared for the UPSC exam and cleared it in her first attempt.
Saumya secured an All India Rank of 24 in the UPSC exams and was appointed as an IAS officer. Saumya was then appointed as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate in Kanpur in 2008. She had finally achieved her IAS dream and had reached the contentment that she had always longed for in her professional life.
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Strategy to Ace UPSC Exam Like IAS Saumya Agarwal
It is essential to formulate a strong strategy for the UPSC exams in order to excel like IAS Saumya Agarwal. Following below are some strong strategy formulation points for the Prelims exam, Mains exam, and the Interview:
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Prelims
For the preliminary exam or prelims, it is important to practice numerous test papers to analyze self-accuracy and speed of performance. The candidates should make notes which can be referred to timely at regular intervals before the exam. The important subjects to be studied and focused on include ecology and the environment since they have a significant weightage.
For subjects like geography, it is important to focus on map-based questions. Other important focus areas are modern history, economics, and polity. While attempting the paper, the easier questions should be quickly answered and the doubtful ones can be reserved for later.
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Mains
The mains exam consists of a total number of nine papers, out of which two are qualifying. Each exam is based on specific subject areas which can be referred to from the official website of UPSC. Just like prelims, it is important to attempt test papers for the mains exam as well. The mains exam is based on the ability to recall and express topics through intensive subject research.
While choosing the optional subjects for Mains, it is important to study in-depth. A better approach for the mains exam subjects will not only ensure time management but also additional marks for the effort. Since the syllabus is not direct and is open source, it is important to be well familiar with it.
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Interview Stage
The interview is conducted by a panel of competent experts who evaluate the knowledge, problem-solving skills, and situation assessment ability of the candidate. It is important to develop strong communication skills for the interview stage and answers should be given in a straightforward manner. It is also advisable to be well prepared to speak about your hobbies.
The candidate should also revise his optional subjects as questions may be asked based on them. The answers should be well balanced and unbiased which explains the topics in a satisfactory manner. For questions that are not known, the candidate should say that he will give another read because he is not very sure, rather than making wild guesses.
IAS Saumya Agarwal Wiki- Current Posting
After having secured the Indian Administrative Position in the civil services, Saumya was first appointed as the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kanpur in 2008. She also served as the Chief Development Officer in Maharajganj, District Magistrate in Unnao, and managing director of KESCo in Kanpur. Presently, IAS Saumya Agarwal is appointed as the Managing Director of Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited.
Saumya lived up to the expectations of her family and especially her grandfather, who had worked in the Public Works Department and wished that Saumya would appear for the UPSC examinations. Saumya has two sisters, both of them working in private companies. Saumya is the only successful member in the family to have secured the IAS position.
Conclusion
The biography of IAS Saumya Agarwal is exemplary for thousands of people who are professionally working but are still seeking more from life. IAS gives them the opportunity to achieve great heights in life and work for the welfare of society alongside. Having left her job in London, she found out what real success was after becoming a part of the civil services of India. Hopefully, this story inspires every reader and instills confidence and spirit within.
Also Read: IAS Shubhangi Srivastava Wiki: An Amazing Journey of a UPSC Aspirant
The suggestions by IAS Saumya Agarwal are extremely helpful in my UPSC prep.