UPSC is one of the most prestigious exams in India. Even though it is one of the toughest papers, candidates still give their exams because of the result. The successful candidates receive lots of respect and love.
Are you a UPSC aspirant? Well, here is the best advice for you: read as many experiences as you can. You know “Experience is the best teacher.” Therefore learning from someone else’s experience is the best way to get familiar with the UPSC and learn the best ways to succeed.
Here is an inspirational journey of IAS Shubham Gupta.
Shubham Gupta Biography: Overcoming Multiple Difficulties
Shubham Gupta is an IAS officer of the 2018 batch. In his 4th attempt, he wrote his name in the golden history of successful candidates. In 2019, he bagged AIR 6th rank. He is currently posted as a collector of Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.
His journey was not a smooth one. He has to overcome many obstacles from his pathway. He had to face failures multiple times before absolute success. However, because of his determination, perseverance, sacrifice and hard work he was able to succeed in his UPSC journey.
Early Life: Setting of the Stage
Shubham Gupta was born in Jaipur, Rajasthan on 11 August 1993. He was born in a middle-class family. Later he moved to a small village of Maharashtra, Dahanu due to financial instability. He loves collecting and reading various biographies, autobiographies, and non-fictional books as a hobby. As a recreational activity, he enjoys various sports such as cricket and tennis. He also loved driving in hardship as a stress buster.
| Profession | Civil Servant |
| Current Posting | Collector at Gadchiroli, Maharashtra |
| DOB | 11/08/1993 |
| Age | 28 Years |
| Zodiac Sign | Leo |
| Hometown | Jaipur, Rajasthan |
| Education | BA (Hons.) in Economics
MA in Economics |
| Height | 170 cm (5’ 7”) |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair colour | Black |
Family Background
Shubham Gupta’s father is Anil Gupta. He is a small businessman and had a small shoe shop. When Shubham was a teenager his business went into loss and due to bankruptcy he and his family had to move to a small village Dahanu, Maharashtra. His mother was a homemaker. Her name is not known.
He also has two older siblings, a brother and a sister. His elder brother’s name is Krishna Gupta. He is an entrepreneur inspired by his businessman father. His elder sister is Bhagyashree who is now a CA.
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Educational Background
Shubham Gupta completed his education in different states of India. He completed his primary education to seventh from Jaipur. After he moved to Dhanau due to financial instability, he had to travel a long journey to Vapi, Gujarat to complete his further education.
There was no English or Hindi medium school in Dahanu. Therefore, he studied 8th to 12th from Shree Swaminarayan Gurukul, Vapi, Gujarat. This was very far from his town and used to go to school with his sister by train. He would leave his house at 6 am and reach home only till 3 pm.
He was a studious student from childhood and as a result, he scored the highest marks in high school from his district, Valsad. Later everyone advised him to choose the science stream further but he wanted to pursue commerce. Hence, he went on with commerce due to his liking for economics.
For higher studies, he decided to move to Delhi and pursue a degree in Commerce. His name was in the second cutoff list and was selected for B.Com honours. Moreover, in the fourth cutoff, he got selected for Economics honours.
But unfortunately, he couldn’t enrol himself under any of these courses as he was not present in the city. When he reached Delhi it was already too late. He tried to talk to the professor and college authority, but it didn’t bear any fruit.
The college began its new sessions but determined Shubham didn’t accept it. He used to visit HOD’s office daily and tried to pursue her for his reasons. After 2 weeks of repeated struggle and patience, he finally fulfilled his desire and was selected for Economics honours.
Facing Hardships
Shubham’s family wasn’t very financially stable. In his teen days, his family moved to a small village in Maharashtra due to bankruptcy and financial instability.
To study further he has to commute from Dahanu, Maharashtra to Vapi, Gujarat by train. He used to wake up early and come home late.
Shubham was the youngest child of the family but had a sense of responsibility in him. His father used to run a small shoe shop and his elder brother was studying at IIT far from his home. Therefore with studying, he used to help his father in his work.
He used to reach the shop at 4’o o’clock and stayed there until night. Moreover, he used to study there also. Until intermediate, he lived like that. Surprisingly he not only helped his father but also scored high marks in his school. Though he couldn’t participate in any extra-curricular activities or sports.
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Childhood Dream
The dream of becoming a collector was planted by his father in the young mind of Shubham. His father used to meet a lot of collectors and officers regarding income tax. When he was in 5th class his father called him and said that he wishes to make him a collector.
From that day, he decided to become a collector even though he didn’t know the real meaning of it. However, as time passed, his childhood fantasy started transforming into a strong desire. Soon he realized his utter desire to become a collector and serve the country. Hence began his UPSC journey.
“I was in 5th Standard. My father came to me and said that he wants me to become a collector one day.”
Role Model
According to Shubham Gupta, his father was his role model. He inspired him to face failure bravely and bring the wheels of life back to normal.
“Several times in his life, he faced a financial crunch and hit rock bottom. But his ‘Never say Die Spirit’ inspired me a lot”- Shubham Gupta
Also Read: IAS Vijay Amruta Kulange Biography: Let’s Learn from this Civil Servant’s Life Journey
UPSC: Embarking on the Ultimate Journey of Self Transformation
Shubham Gupta gave his first attempt in 2015. But he couldn’t clear prelims. But he was a determined person and never learnt to accept failure.
In his second attempt in 2016, he successfully cleared all stages of UPSC and secured 366th rank. But was not satisfied by it and decided to give another chance.
In his third attempt in 2017, he wasn’t selected. At last, he decided to give his last attempt in 2019 before accepting failure.
However, God’s plan was something different. In his fourth attempt, he not only successfully cleared UPSC but also secured 6th rank in all India.
Shubham Gupta Marksheet
| Name | Written Total | Personality Test Marks | Total |
| Shubham Gupta | 883 | 184 | 1067 |
Current Posting of Shubham Gupta
He is currently posted as Collector of a small village Gadchiroli, Maharashtra.
H2- Shubham Gupta’s Success Mantra: Tips and Strategies
Here are some important tips and tricks of Shubham Gupta:
Prelims Strategy
Reading Newspaper
Shubham began his preparation in 2015. The first thing he started was reading newspapers. This helped him to develop opinions on different matters of World and nation. He made notes of current affairs daily in newspapers and magazines.
Here is a quote by him: “Newspapers are the best weapon to crack the Prelims”.
NCERT
He studied the syllabus carefully and differentiated it into several topics. He used to pick a topic and read NCERTs to understand it. NCERTs are the best books to build a strong foundation on various subjects.
Mock Tests
Shubham solved different Mock Tests to evaluate his strengths and weaknesses. This also helps to understand patterns of papers and formulate a strategy accordingly.
Mains
Detailed Knowledge
According to Shubham Gupta, in prelims candidates only explore the surface level of a subject. However, in mains, a candidate has to dive into the depth of different subjects.
Answer Writing
Answer writing is very important to score well in mains. Therefore, practice writing answers daily. Moreover, try to evaluate your answers and compare them with various toppers.
Essay Strategy
Shubham divides your time strategically to answer both essays. He divided his time into 100 minutes for the first essay and 80 minutes for another. This is different from what we hear often.
According to him, you need more time in begging to set a pace for writing. Till the second, you are already at the peak and can complete it in less time.
He used the first 50 hours to write down points and formulate the introduction, body and conclusion. The focus should be given to the introduction and conclusion.
Optional Subject
Shubham Gupta opted for Law as his optional subject. He prepared for it from Nirvana Coaching Institutes notes. He also took reference from RK Bangia. He also solved previous year question papers to get an idea of the paper pattern.
Revision
Focus on revising your notes at least twice and thrice. This helps you to remember well. Avoid reading any new book or material before some months to your exam.
Coping with Failures
Life is full of failures and success. But you should not take failure as the outcome. With hard work, dedication and perseverance you can clear any hurdle of your life. All you need is to Believe in yourself. Believe in yourself, enjoy your success and bravely face all challenges.
Extra Activities
Don’t constrain yourself in a room to study only. Do allocate time for exercise, sports and others to stay mentally and physically fit.
Books for UPSC Preparation
# NCERT Books
# Spectrum for Modern history
# India at work for Polity
# VN Khanna for Foreign Policy
# Bare Acts for Law
Other important sources
# Wikipedia
# Social media
Also Read: NCERT Books for UPSC Preparation: Complete List of Books for UPSC CSE 2021
Interview
An interview is an important phase of UPSC. Most of the questions are from the Detailed Application Form. Therefore, practice questions from optional subjects, educational background, state, city, etc.
Try to remain confident and answer questions carefully.
Coaching Institute
Shubham Gupta went to an institute that helped him to pave the way for his success. That academy helped him to clear his doubts, and get a clear vision to solve any problems ahead.
Conclusion
The three most important qualities to succeed in UPSC are dedication, commitment and perseverance.
Shubham Gupta is an inspiration for various aspirants. He not only faced failures multiple times but also overcame them with double enthusiasm. He advises aspirants to work hard, commit to their goals and be patient all along.
For more such experiences and UPSC preparation tips visit UPSC Pathshala. Here you will find different courses, preparation materials, high-quality videos, and other relevant information about UPSC.
This is so motivating journey…thank you for sharing such a wonderful journey
Failure can turn into the strongest person. This article has given me the motivation to never quit and believe in my potential. Thank you sharing this article. How do you guys get motivated?