Debasweta Banik, a 22 year old girl became one of the youngest candidate to pass the Civil Services Exam. She fetched 14th rank by clearing UPSC Examination.
Debasweta Banik says, “she would begin her day by studying three out of seven English language dailies. Her staples were The Indian Express, Hindustan Times and The Hindu, but she would also dip into others. She used to make cuttings articles, commentaries and news stories which interested her. These were her notes.”
Reading newspapers was like reading Bible for her. That was her lifeline.
Marks Obtained
| Total Marks | Marks Obtained | |
| Total (Written) | 2000 | 865 |
| Interview | 300 | 222 |
| Total | 2300 | 1087 (47.26%) |
Family Background
Debasweta Banik comes from Noida. Her father K. S. Debasweta is an engineer at Noida and her mother Sujata Debasweta is a house maker. She has one elder sister Subhasweta, a gold Medalist in M.Sc. in Anthropology from Delhi University.
Must Read: Success Story of K Nandakumar IAS – A Lorry Driver’s Son
Educational Qualifications
Debasweta Banik completed her schooling from Delhi Public School, Noida. After that in 2o11 she did her B.A. Economics (H) from Miranda House, University of Delhi.
Debasweta Banik decided to put herself forward for the Indian Civil Service Exams only in the final year of college, when she actively began debating about governance and policy making in competitions.
Debasweta Banik said “She thought to herself one day, ‘she can change policies we’re debating today. Why not stop talking and start changing?’ That’s when she made up her mind for UPSC Exam”.
Optional Paper
Debasweta Banik chose Anthropology and Psychology as her optional subjects. She felt that both these subjects were substantially correlated with each other, and would also be of immense use to her in administration since both deal with the study of human beings; above all she had keen interest in them. Moreover, she did not wish to depend on any external help for her preparation. Her elder sister, who’s a Gold Medalist in M.Sc. Anthropology from Delhi University, guided her best in these subjects and this was a major factor behind choosing them.
Attempts
At the age of 21 years, Debasweta Banik appeared for the Civil Services Examination, 2012 and cleared it in her first attempt with all India 14th rank.
Also Read: Aboli Naravane IAS Tops in Maharashtra
Preparation Strategy of Debasweta Banik
Debasweta Banik had decided before-hand that she would not take any coaching during her preparation and this decision helped her save a lot of time and energy. She went strictly by the syllabus given by UPSC for the Mains examination, and collected good quality standard text-books in all the areas and started reading them.
She focused on basics during her exam preparation and in the examination hall speed and accuracy were her hallmarks. Revision and constantly brushing up your basics is key to success in Prelims Exam. She turned to newspapers to brush up on current affairs and learn to frame her essays better.
Sincerity, focus, intelligent hard work and the unwavering support of her family were the most important ingredients of success in the Civil Services examination. She thoroughly enjoyed this entire process of learning and that kept her motivated and in a positive frame of mind throughout.
She have been reading Interviews of toppers and each one of them has been a source of inspiration. It gave her an opportunity to get to know their varied styles of preparation which aided her to customize a method of study which suited her best.
She did not take any coaching for the exam and focused on self study instead by gaining conceptual clarity in the conventional areas. Her elder sister has been her mentor and guide throughout her preparation.
Credit of Success
Her father, mother and elder sister deserves all the credit. They were the wind beneath her wings. They inspired her, by examples, to give her best in everything she do in life. Above all, she is grateful to God Almighty for converting her endeavors into a good result. Thus, she feels humbled and determined to make the best of this opportunity given to her to serve the country.
Advice for Young Aspirants
- Stay positive and have faith in yourself.
- There are no short¬cuts to success and sincere, honest and intelligent preparation is sure to bear fruit.
- Coaching centers are not indispensable and self study can compensate adequately.
- Read NCERT books thoroughly. It helps a lot while solving the Prelims GS paper. Following the textbook can make you rigid.
- Candidates who couldn’t clear Prelims Exam should regain their confidence and not to be bogged down by the negativity.
Don’t Miss: Topper’s Story – Patna Girl Neha Prakash, IAS