UPSC Civil Services 2021 rank holders are a mixed batch of bright minds from across the country. Delhi’s Samyak Jain (UPSC AIR 7) and Ayushi (UPSC AIR 48) are among the 685 candidates who have passed India’s most prestigious exam, both of whom are visually impaired.
Samyak, whose preliminary exam was written by his mother and the main exam by his friend, is excited after passing the UPSC in the second attempt. He could not make it to the main examination in the first attempt. He used to read books in digital format and studied for seven hours a day. He believes that consistency is the key to cracking the exam.
Ayushi, 30, who is 100% blind, has been a topper in the entire school and college. Ayushi had also topped the Delhi Subordinate Services Selection Board before qualifying for UPSC and is currently working as a history teacher.
Nashik’s Swapnil Pawar, an auto-rickshaw driver’s son, secured an all-India rank of 418 in the second attempt. He aimed to crack UPSC and become an officer right from his school days. He feels that there is a misconception among the youth that preparing for competitive exams is like studying day and night. Swapnil says that he used to study only four to five hours a day.
Rituraj Pratap Yadav, 296th UPSC rank holder from Mainpuri, Bihar quit his high paying job at Reliance Refinery to prepare for UPSC. He was working there as a maintenance engineer and his salary was 18 lakhs per year. To fulfill his father’s dreams, he quit his job in a year and went to Delhi to prepare for the IAS.
Tanmayee Desai, who scored 224 in her second attempt, says she used to wake up at 3.30 am and study for seven to eight hours a day, but at the same time exercise and dance to stay fit.