Garima Lohia of Kirori Mal College, who secured second rank in Civil Services Examination 2022. , Photo Credit: PTI
Nine of the top 20 rankholders in the Civil Services Examination 2022 completed their higher education from city colleges, announced on Tuesday.
This includes two Delhi University graduates, Ishita Kishor, 26, of Shri Ram College of Commerce and Garima Lohia, 24, of Kirori Mal College, who secured first and second ranks respectively in the examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC). ,
shared with some of these nine candidates Hindu Stories of their preparation, challenges and reasons for taking the exam.
For 26-year-old Siddharth Shukla, who secured the 18th rank in his fourth attempt, it was a dream come true for his family. “My father appeared for the UPSC exam twice and could not pass. That’s when I decided I will do it,” said the graduate from DU’s Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Khalsa College.
Mr. Shukla wants to join IAS to help lift people out of poverty and transform the education and health sectors. “Strategy is the most important thing. In my first attempt, I was disorganized and did not have a proper schedule. When I took the exam, I realized that all its phases require equal focus and attention.”
Kanika Goyal, who secured Rank 9 in her second attempt, is the first graduate in her family and the first woman to clear the UPSC exam. “It was my childhood dream to become an IAS officer and make my parents proud,” he said. A graduate of Lady Shri Ram College, the 23-year-old Haryana native said, “I prepared mostly on my own but took test series and mock interviews available online. I would say that aspirants should stay dedicated and keep working hard. Hours didn’t matter to me. I used to take time for myself too.
While many dedicate their success to parents, for Anirudh Yadav, his elder brother was a constant source of inspiration. The 25-year-old, who secured the eighth rank, said, “I studied at Sanskriti School and then at IIT Delhi. I am currently working in Indian Information Service. Consistency and hard work were the keys to my UPSC preparation.”
Delhi Technological University’s 23-year-old Laghima Tiwari has secured 19th rank in her first attempt. “I’m still processing the feelings. I can’t believe I cracked it in my first attempt. I didn’t aspire to crack the UPSC until I entered college. I I put in 7-8 hours a day and registered for online test series; I didn’t think of taking up coaching,” she said.