Renu Raj IAS from Kerala has proved that determination and hard work can work wonders and can help you to reach the zenith of glory. Hailing from Changanassery of Kottayam district she has topped by scoring the 2nd rank in the UPSC Civil Services examination at the age of 27 years in 2014.
Marks scored by Renu Raj IAS
| Total Marks | Marks Obtained | |
| Total (Written) | 1750 | 858 |
| Interview | 275 | 198 |
| Total | 2025 | 1056 (52.15%) |
Family Background
Renu Raj Comes from a village in Kerala. Her Father is a retired Government employee of the Kerala state transport corporation. Her mother is a house maker. Her sister is studying MBBS. Renu is married to Dr. L S Bhagat and he is a Doctor.
First Attempt
Renu Raj cleared this prestigious exam in her very First attempt. She dedicated her success to her parents and husband, saying that it was her childhood dream to become a civil servant.
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Educational Background
Renu Raj completed her MBBS graduate from Government Medical College, Kottayam. She worked at ASI Hospital in Kalluvathukkal in south Kerala’s Kollam district.
Optional Subject of Renu Raj IAS
Optional Subject of Renu Raj IAS
Renu Raj opted for Malayalam as her optional subject.
Strategy for current affairs
Renu Raj said for preparing current affair topics in general write mock papers, it does a lot of wonders. Collect current affairs, either write down or keep paper cuttings or bookmark articles. Should go through the Economic surveys and new bills passed by the Government.
Newspaper and Magazines
The newspaper and magazines followed by Renu Raj were Hindu, the few regional newspaper, Yojana, Kurukhetra. She daily devoted 1 – 2 hours for reading newspaper. While reading newspaper keep it in mind that what could help you for the exams, focus on that topics.
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Preparation Strategy
Renu Raj said that the basic foundation that the UPSC prescribes for IAS is the NCERT syllabus from 8th to 12th standard. It is not what you learn but its important how you learn. The tenure of the exam is 1 year and you must not get distracted from this aim.
Renu had a combined Prelims and Mains approach. Depended mainly on mock tests and mock interviews.The best approach is to try to cover almost every topic in the syllabus than spending days and weeks on the same topic. Just remain focused. Try to analyse and correlate.
According to Renu Raj, the success in any examination is a blend of both brilliance and hard work in which an equilibrium has to be maintained between the both. She used to devote 6 to 7 hours daily for her preparation. Minimum 7 hours sleep and food at the right time. Her interview was off 45 minutes duration. Renu Raj’s punctuality paid off in the end.
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About Renu Raj’s vision and dreams she says,
“Though it was my childhood dream, the ambition became stronger as I completed my graduation. Working as a house surgeon I could meet people from all strata of society. I was exposed to the ground realities of life of people.”