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Meet IAS Topper Dr. Bharti Dixit – Rank 5 in first attempt

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Syskool
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Dr. Bharti Dixit got one of the top 5 ranks in the prestigious IAS exams that too in her very first attempt. She was the only woman who made it to the top five slots of Union Public Service Commission Examination in the year 2013. Bharti gives the credit of her success to God and her Family for their support.

bharti dixit iasEducation:

Bharti completed her schooling from Holy Child Auxilium, R.K. Puram in Delhi. She did her MBBS Graduate from Lady Hardinge Medical College of Delhi, was the top scoring woman candidate with overall fifth rank.

Dr. Bharti Dixit had also qualified UPSC combined medical services exam 2012 with AIR 13 and joined New Delhi Medical Officer (NDMC) as a medical officer and examine patients on daily basis.

Also Read: Mona Pruthi IAS Exam Topper 2005

Optional Subject:

As Bharti was from a Science background, she was clear with her own subject Medical Science.

Strategy:

Bharti Dixit followed simple strategy for UPSC preparation. She said must read syllabus and an intuition of examiner’s expectations the candidate must know.  Bharti said she commenced preparation with NCERT books and built up her knowledge.

Regular Newspaper reading The Hindu, listening to AIR news and programs daily and watching Rajya Sabha TV programs were integral part of her study plan.

Don’t Miss: IAS Preparation – 15 Time Management tips of IAS Exam aspirants

Key Factors:

The factors behind Bharti’s brilliant performance in Civil Services Exam was Confidence that she had in herself and the next other thing was the Passion to excel and realise her dream which made her work very hard and achieve her goal.

Tips and Message for future Civil Services Aspirants:

  • Recognize your strength and weakness
  • Build upon your strengths and minimise your weaknesses.
  • Devise your own strategy and do not blindly follow what others say.
  • Study with full devotion and dedication
  • Quality of study matters more than the number of hours you put in.
  • Think 100 times before deciding anything, but not even once after you have taken the decision.

Also Read: Govind Jaiswal, IAS – The Rickshawallah’s Son

Some of important questions answered by Bharti in an Interview

How was your interview board (numbers)? Did you also find any uneasy moment during your interview? How did you tackle that?

Bharti Dixit: I was interviewed by board chaired by Ms. Rajni Razdan with four other members on April 25, 2014. The uneasy moment was when they asked me about Ms. Durga Shakti Nagpal’s issue. They wanted to know my opinion on that issue and they were refuting my stands and arguments. However, I was firm on my stand till the end and finally they were pleased with the conviction with which I held on to my stands when everyone was going averse.

What was your preparation strategy for Prelims and Mains level exam?

Bharti Dixit:First thing about my strategy for Prelims was that I memorized the syllabus. Aptitude is something that a person always has with himself or herself so the aptitude test does not really require any serious preparation. But attending plenty of mocks tests is must. For preparing GS, the NCERT books and Newspapers are the best sources. First try to be thorough with primary sources and then go to secondary sources such as coaching materials.

Under strategy for Mains, first thing I did was the same, I memorized the syllabus. Mains preparation requires exhaustive study. Going through Government websites, Govt of India reports, approach paper for 12th Plan, ARC, Economic Survey, newspapers and magazines, etc is must. Listening to AIR spotlight, current affair, interview programmes, Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha TV programmes is also a must. For essay practice, I wrote an essay on current happenings on daily basis. Also I prepared a few ideological essays with in-depth coverage. At the same time language papers also need to be taken seriously as many candidates even after scoring very good marks in GS lose because of their poor performance in language papers.

What was your strategy for interview?

For interview, I extensively prepared for probable questions around my profile with attention to even the minute details which may have been overlooked all these years, starting from the most incipient stages, schooling, college, job profiles and native place. I tried to analyse current happenings in-depth with unbiased opinion. I knew that just the problems are not to be highlighted but solutions to those problems were to be suggested. The most important part was my attitude to be confident and hold stand till the last. It’s all about being yourself. Interview is ideally a test of honesty and integrity of a candidate.

What was your optional subject at mains level? How did you divide your preparation schedule among the different subjects?

Bharti Dixit: My optional subject was Medical Science. My in-depth study of medical science during graduation gave me an edge as it saved a lot of time for coaching and learning so that I could spend more time on General Studies. It also helped me at interview stage as questions from graduation are inevitable part of one’s interview.

For General Studies paper, I did extensively-focused preparation of important and selected topics. My method was to learn something of everything (like topics which are difficult and not of my interest) and everything of something (most important topics and the topics which I like and have an interest).

Prakash Rajpurohit IAS UPSC Topper, AIR – 2 in 2009

By
Syskool
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prakash rajpurohit ias

Prakash Rajpurohit has hogged the limelight and made the people of Rajasthan proud by bagging the All India Rank 2nd in the UPSC Civil Services Examination. Prakash wanted to join the Rajasthan IAS cadre because it is his home state. “IAS has a lot of diversity and challenge and also gives a chance for public services,” he said.

Dr. Shah Faesal had topped in the 2009 UPSC Exam and 24-year-old Prakash Rajpurohit, who came second, have quite a bit in common. Neither of them took coaching classes to crack what is thought to be the toughest exam in the country, and they did so after having taken up other professions.

Marks Obtained

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  2000 1171
 Interview 300  165
 Total  2300  1336 (58.09%)

Must Read: Toppers Story – Ananya Das IAS

Family Background

Prakash Rajpurohit originally belongs from Rajashthan’s Barmer district. His father Devi singh Rajpurohit is  a manager of public sector company Seaton India Ltd. And his mother Rama Rajpurohit is a house maker. He is the only child of his parents. His parents helped him a lot throughout his journey. If he required any material for studies, they used to get it for him.

Educational Background

Prakash Rajpurohit did his schooling from DAV Public School in Brij Vihar, Ghaziabad and then from DAV Public School in Dayanand Vihar, Delhi. He completed his B Tech in electrical engineering from IIT Delhi. During his final year of graduation, he decided to take the Civil Services Exam but he started preparation from 2008.

Success for Prakash was not completely new as he scored AIR-4, IIT/JEE in 2003. Prakash Rajpurohit was working with a start-up IT firm in Noida before he began to explore the idea of becoming an IAS officer. He decided to become an engineer and joined IIT because he was very good at math, as it was his favorite subject.

Optional Paper

Prakash Rajpurohit’s task for selecting optional paper was simple as he have command over Electrical engineering and Mathematics. He decided these subjects because his graduation course covers most part of syllabus of both the optional. His interest and aptitude was the foremost criteria for deciding the optionals.

Prakash Rajpurohit says, ” you are comfortable in your graduation subject go ahead with it. One should carefully look at the syllabus, previous years papers and some basic text books of that subject before deciding”.

Also Read: Abhijeet Kaplish IAS Topper from Chandigarh – A Role Model for Youth

Attempts by Prakash Rajpurohit

Prakash Rajpurohit achieved this success in his second attempt. In my first attempt he fell short of time and was not able to complete syllabus and revise properly. He was very happy with his result as he had worked very hard.

Prakah Rajpurohit says, “he was a movie buff. Movies were his only source of relaxation”.

Preparation Strategy

Prakash Rajpurohit did not take any coaching and studied on his own. He devoted 8-10 hours daily for preparation for two years. The secret of his success was being focussed, his hardwork and parent’s support played an important role. He was inspired by the success of Mutyala Raju Revu (AIR-1, CSE’06) and Supreet Singh Gulati (AIR-2, CSE-07). It was a planned decision. He started preparation for 2008 attempt and hoped to succeed in that attempt only but he had to give another attempt for final selection. But he never gave up, that failure propelled him to forge ahead even stronger and achieve his goal.

Advice for Young Aspirants

  • One can start preparation during one’s graduation. Ideally one should start preparation 1 year before writing Prelims.
  • One should enjoy the whole preparation and should persevere and do the hardwork.

Don’t Miss: Meet IAS Neha Jain and Read Her Answers to UPSC Board

Inspirational Story of Tailor’s Son – Nirish Rajput IAS

By
Syskool
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Nirish Rajput of 31 years, son of Virendra Rajput, a tailor, failed the Civil Service Examination three times but never lost heart. The fourth time, he passed with a rank of 370 and has been selected for the Indian Administrative Service.

Don’t Miss: Govind Jaiswal, IAS – The Rickshawallah’s Son

Family Background of Nirish Rajput

A poor youngster from the Bhind district of Madhya Pradesh, who overcame massive odds to emerge successful in the all-important Civil Services Examinations, has proved that poverty is not an impediment to success.

Nirish’s story is inspiring not because Nirish Rajput did not lose heart but also because he comes from a very poor background. Nirish Rajput lives in a 15 by 40 feet (300 square feet) house in village Mau in Gohad tehsil of the district and worked odd jobs – even as a newspaper hawker – to realize his dream of becoming an IAS officer.

Must Read: Success Story of Khumanthem Diana IAS, AIR-24, 2015

Educational Background

Nirish Rajput studied from a government school and a modest college in Gwalior. His father and two elder brothers, who are contractual teachers, started investing most of their savings, energy and courage to make Nirish’s dream come true.

Friends Betray

Once, Nirish Rajput went with a considerably rich and respected family friend to Uttrakhand to help them set up a coaching institute with a promise they would help him by providing material to prepare for his Civil Services Examinations. But two years later, after the coaching institute started paying rich dividends, Nirish Rajput was insulted, disgraced and literally thrown out.

“What is your worth? You are good for nothing. We no longer want you”, that were the last words I heard from the members of that educated and rich family, said Nirish Rajput. “Next moment, I was jobless, homeless, penniless and remained hungry for a week, till help came to me”, Nirish Rajput narrated. This incident changed the course of Nirish Rajput.

Also Read: Success Story of Amit Pal Sharma IAS, AIR 17, 2015

Never Gave up

“I did not know how to become an IAS officer but I knew clearing the country’s top examinations can change my fortune”, Nirish Rajput said, adding that poverty cannot be a hurdle if one has determination and is willing work hard.

One day Nirish left for Delhi to study. “In Delhi, I became friendly with Ankit, who was preparing for competitive exams. I started living with him at Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar and studied 18 hours a day. I did not attend any coaching classes nor pay any hefty fees. I studied from the books and notes of Ankit,” Nirish Rajput said.

Read Also: Security Guard’s Son Kuldeep Dwivedi Clears UPSC Exam

Popularity as ‘Ustaad’

Virendra’s ramshackle house in a non-descript village in Bhind district has suddenly become the attraction of the entire neighborhood. Popularly known as ustaad in the village for his hand-to-hand combat style (aiming to hold the opponent down against the floor) in the Akharas, Virendra, a father of three sons and a daughter, had lived with only one dream – to give his children an education.

After the demise of Nirish’s mother, it is the father who is keeping the children’s spirit alive. “My father has told me not be dishearted and to reappear in the entrance exam in the next year”, he added. “Even when my mother was alive, I never saw them disgusted and heard them grumbling for poverty that has stricken our family,” Nirish Rajput  said.

Don’t Miss: Success Story of K Nandakumar IAS – A Lorry Driver’s Son

Abhijeet: 24th Rank 2009

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Syskool
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abhijit agrawal ias
Abhijeet: 24th Rank 2009


When did you decide to appear for the IAS Exam?

I decided during my graduation days. But I gave a serious thought to it by the end of the second year of my engineering, and embarked upon my preparations.

How did you prepare for this Mother of all Examinations?

I did not consider any job from the campus placement, and came to Delhi to prepare for this Exam. I studied the syllabus deeply to choose my optionals, and consulted my seniors for preparation. I devoted 3 months exclusively for the PT, made self notes for the optionals and GS, and indulged in group discussions and brainstorming sessions. I undertook test series for the GS and optionals to assess my preparation, and trace my lacunae.

Does IIT graduation help in IAS preparation?
My study at IIT (Kanpur) oriented me in clarity of thoughts and planning my tasks well. It has given me the ability to work enthusiastically and over come obstacles with my abilities. The environment there was very conducive to prepare for such exams. Further, as both of my optionals were from science stream, I got the best of minds to teach me during my graduation, and they were always at bay to help me even after I graduated.

The scores you have got in optionals are whopping. Please share the secrets of your preparation.
My idea of preparation was simple: Covering the entire syllabus, consulting many authentic books for a wider coverage and crystal clear understanding, self assessment by test series and practicing previous year’s questions in exam like conditions. I made self notes & synopsis and kept improving upon them to keep my answers innovative and impactful. I also took help of internet.

Describe your General Studies preparation.
For the PT, I focussed on certain key areas of GS like Geography, Modern History, GK, Current Affairs and Maths & mental ability. For the Mains Exam, I studied extensively for all the sections. I formed a study group with some friends, where we discussed issues of national and international importance. We had divided certain sections to save time, and to gather deeper understanding of the topic. I made synoptic notes of the sections, and kept upgrading them. I took extensive help of the Internet for anything I had difficulty with.

How important is writing practice in General Studies?
I would like to quote “That which is not re-written, is not well written”. Writing practice-not only in GS but in every paper, is one of the best tools by which one can self assess his/ her preparation. Knowing the answers is different from putting it on paper in the exam’s time frame – that too with an impact to lead in score. It also allows us to improve upon our answers by getting them assessed from experts. I think it should be the prime strategy for any serious aspirant.

What do you feel about change in pattern in the Preliminaries- introduction of CSAT?
I think it is a very welcome change. It will ease the aspirants from mad cramming of facts and information. The questions will be more of application of understanding rather than mere testing of memory. It should not be feared at all.

What are some of the mistakes that an average aspirant can avoid for better time management?
Chalking out a clear road map and study calender and sticking to it is the first step to use time wisely. I would advise aspirants to read GS on a regular basis. One should avoid studying both the optionals together, as it could be difficult to contain. Further, one should be on toes after PT, and get serious with the preparations.

Meet IAS Topper Vandana Rao, Rank 4 of 2015

By
Syskool
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vandana rao ias topper

Vandana Rao had topped the India’s toughest examination by clinching All India Rank fourth in UPSC Exam and is also the topper of the Other Backward Class (OBC) category.

All top 4 ranks of India’s most prestigious UPSC examination have been secured by female candidates in the year 2015. 1st rank goes to the physically handicapped girl Ira Singhal, 2nd rank goes to Renu Raj, 3rd position was occupied by Nidhi Gupta and fourth place goes to Vandana Rao.

Vandana says “she wanted to be an IAS officer as it gives us ample scope to do something worthwhile for the country”. Vandana gives a big salute to every Indian women for “showing there excellence in every field. She says we need to ignore anyone who tries to discourage us.”

Marks Obtained by Vandana Rao

 Total Marks  Marks Obtained
Total (Written)  1750  832
 Interview  275  187
 Total  2025  1019  (50.32%)

Must Read: Top 10 World’s Toughest Exams – IAS Exams ranks 3 in list

Family Background

Vandana Rao belongs from a middle class family background. She hails from Kangan Heri village in Najafgarh area of southwest Delhi . Vandana’s father Hari Prasad Yadav is an assistant sub-inspector and works in the Delhi Police Headquarters. Her mother is a house maker. She has one elder brother and he is a teacher. Her brother always supported her and got all the material and books she needed.

Vandana Rao who ranked fourth in the year 2015 UPSC Exam says, “These two men were her constant inspiration and support to get into the Indian Administrative Services. She was always encouraged by her father and brother to realise her potential”.

Her father says, “we belong from a farming background. Vandana has achieved something special which none in our village could ever achieve.” He said he couldn’t study further and because of his own struggle in his life motivated him to provide proper education to his children, who joined Delhi police after completing his secondary education and was selected as the constable.

Educational Background

Vandana Rao joined the engineering discipline in the year 2008 and got graduated from Kurukshetra University in the year 2012. She worked with Multi National Company for three years after her graduation. And after three years she stands out as AIR 4 in UPSC Exam 2015 with flying colours.

She says that “engineering was her own choice of career and she dreamt of working for the top MNCs.”

Also Read: Read UPSC Board Interview of Abhiram G Sankar IAS, Rank-4

Attempts

Vandana Rao secured delighting rank in her third serious attempt. Although her strong determination and outstanding preparation towards the Civil Services Exam made her to speculate selection while she was shocked enough to see herself in the top AIR 10 rankers list.

Advice to future Aspirants

  • If you want to succeed, be sincere and listen to the advice of elders around. They speak from experience, which the youth tend to dismiss.
  • There are no shortcuts for clearing the exam. One can utilize the Internet for everything.
  • One must persistently aim for success.
  • There is no alternative to hard work if you want to succeed.
  • Read regular newspaper.
  • Do not waste energy in joining coaching institutes.

Don’t Miss: Role of Civil Servants (IAS, IPS, IRS, IFS and IES)

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