From 236 to No. 1: What UPSC topper did different this time

From 236 to No. 1: What UPSC topper did different this time

When Aditya Srivastava and his dear ones erupted in joy after he dramatically improved his previous ranking of 236 to emerge as the 2024 topper for UPSC exams on Tuesday, he was not the only one to make an unbelievable vault in the civil services exam rankings which was reminiscent of the legendary Sergey Bubka. There are many other successful candidates across the country who achieved this feat, learning from their past mistakes and making amends.

“Throughout my preparations, my basic focus was on identifying mistakes I committed that lowered my score and rectifying them,” said 26-year-old Srivastava, a graduate from IIT-Kanpur. “I approached friends who had scored higher in these subjects, picked up things that I missed.”

Similarly, Ayan Jain, who leaped from an impressive AIR 87 to an outstanding 16, attributed his success to a meticulous analysis of previous years’ question papers, said the IIT-Delhi graduate from Bhopal.

Other notable achievers include 35-year old Sameer Khode from Nagpur, who ascended from rank 551 to 42. “I worked more on bringing in my personal opinion and experiences in the optional subject (political science). I also made use of data sets wherever possible, instead of just quoting theories,” said Khode, an IIM- Lucknow alumnus.

Ashish Patil, a 26-year-old from Kolhapur, climbed from rank 563 to 147. He underscored the importance of fine-tuning study methods and bolstering confidence. Offering advice to aspiring candidates, Bhavesh Khayalia from Hisar in Haryana, who surged from rank 280 to 46, said: “You should not fall prey to the academy but be honest with yourself while preparing.”

Meerut’s Medha Anand, currently posted in Prayagraj division of North Central Railways, jumped from 311 to 13, never letting go of her dream of becoming an IAS officer. She said her mother motivated her. IRS officer Pawan Kumar Goel from Dehradun went from rank 131 to 28. “We didn’t know he was preparing again for the exams. We are delighted,” said grandmother Rama Goel.

Yogesh Dilhor from Panchkula, who vaulted from rank 633 to 55, shared his journey marred by challenges but propelled by family support.

PK Sidharth Ramkumar from Ernakulam improved his rank from 121 to fourth. “He took a lot of online mock interviews, attended coaching classes. He used to refer to NCERT’s syllabus. Peer groups helped him a lot,” his brother Adarsh said.

Shivam Kumar from Bihar’s Samastipur transitioned from rank 309 to 19. “Working as an income tax officer in Nagpur, I carried on with my studies,” he said. Ayushi Pradhan from Bhubaneswar, who climbed from rank 334 to 36 in her third attempt, emphasised a shift in focus towards presentation and precision in answers.

For the three toppers from Gujarat, it was their third attempt. Vishnu Sasikumar, Anjali Thakur, and Atul Tyagi secured ranks 31, 43, and 62, respectively.

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