It is a myth that only toppers can crack the UPSC and the story of IAS officer Anju Sharma breaks this. Her journey from being a below-average student to cracking the UPSC exam on her first attempt is undoubtedly inspiring. Anju failed in her Class 10 and Class 12 exams in Chemistry and Economics. She passed all other subjects with distinction except these two subjects.
But today,y she believes that these two events in her life made her what she is today. At the age of 22, she cracked one of India’s toughest exams, UPSC CSE. In an interview, Anju said that preparing for the exam at the last minute leads to panic and frustration. Sharing an incident, the IAS officer said, “During exam preparations, I had so many chapters to cover that I almost panicked after dinner because I was unprepared and knew I would fail. Everyone around me stressed that performance in Class 10 is crucial as it decides our further studies.”
Anju recalled how her mother supported and encouraged her during a stressful phase of her life. She also discovered that one should not rely on last-minute studying and so she started studying for her college exams at an early age, which enabled her to win the gold medal for her college. She graduated from Rajasthan with a BSc and an MBA. This strategy enabled her to clear the UPSC exam on the first attempt. She completed her coursework on time and was listed among the IAS toppers.
In 1991, Anju started working as a deputy collector in Rajkot. She is currently Principal Secretary, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar, Department of Education (Higher and Technical Education). In her three decades of service, she has held a number of positions including DDO Baroda, Gandhinagar, District Collector and NRHM in the Department of Industries and Commerce, Government of India.
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