From Beauty Pageants To Civil Services: Meet Miss India Finalist Aishwarya Sheoran Who Cracked UPSC Without Coaching

Once crowned Miss India Finalists 2016, Campus Princess Delhi 2016, and Fresh Face Delhi Winner 2015 she cleared one of the toughest exams of the world in the first attempt without any coaching or classes. Here is the motivational story of an IAS officer, Aishwarya Sheoran.

The world of glitz and glamor creates a sense of unrealness which is so intoxicating that once you enter this domain of quick money and instant fame, it becomes much more difficult to come back to the ordinary routine of life. Aishwarya Sheoran has proved the entire statement wrong when after achieving success in the modeling field, she came back to crack UPSC exams. Not only did she crack it but she scored 93rd All India rank in the 2019 UPSC exams!

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Born in Churu (Rajasthan, Aishwarya is the classic ode to the phrase “Beauty with brains”.

Let’s meet Aishwarya Sheoran and shed some light on her interesting life.

Aishwarya is no stranger to beauty pageants

Aishwarya Sheoran has won many beauty pageants in her life. Her journey started when she won the title of Miss Clean and Clear Delhi in 2014. She stated,

The Delhi Times Fresh Face 2014 was unquestionably my launchpad. They wanted me to compete in Miss India after that, so the steps kept arriving one after the other, and I traveled down the path that brought me into the modeling world.

She went on to win Miss Campus Princess Delhi in 2015 and also managed to be a finalist for Femina Miss India in 2016.

Cracked one of the toughest exams without any coaching

One of the most astonishing facts that was revealed when Aishwarya scored 93rd rank in UPSC was that she studied for the exams all alone without any coaching or guidance. She left social media, switched off her phone, and only focused on preparation for 10 months.

It wasn’t as if she suddenly gained interest in studying; she was always a studious girl. Thus, it is no surprise that she was one of 829 candidates that qualified for the UPSC examinations which also included IAS, IPS, and IFS.

Aishwarya completed her schooling at Sanskriti School, New Delhi, and scored 97.5% in her Grade 12 examinations.

She was the Head Girl of the school; a prestigious position bestowed upon the brightest student in the class and went on to gain admission into one of the most sought-after colleges in New Delhi - Shri Ram College of Commerce.

From Delhi University to IIM Indore

Apart from her many accolades, she also cracked CAT (Common Admission Test) and got into the Indian Institute of Management, Indore. But she had her mind set on UPSC exams and thus decided not to join the college. 

She cites her father as her major inspiration. Colonel Ajay Kumar, Aishwarya’s father is the Commanding Officer of NCC Telangana Battalion, Karimnagar. She further mentioned,

"I decided to pursue civil service in order to provide variety in my family, with the ultimate goal of serving the country. Women have options to grow in the army, although they are still limited. There are no limits to what a woman can achieve in the civil service."

Why are UPSC exams so tough?

UPSC stands for Union Public Service Commission and is one of the most prestigious and respected exams in the country. By clearing this exam you are eligible to enter IAS, IPS, IFS, and other allied services. 

There is a misconception that UPSC exams can only be cleared by the toppers or very bright people. In fact, anyone with determination and a will to study can clear it. All it requires is hard work, smart work, patience, and honesty. 

There are several factors that make UPSC one of the toughest tests to crack.

Pattern of the UPSC exam

UPSC examination consists of 3 levels or stages:

• The prelims
• Mains 
• Interview

Candidates have to clear the levels one by one. It goes without saying that with each level the difficulty increases proportionally. While the first two check your theoretical knowledge, the last one i.e. the “Interview” not only tests your mental capacity but also your overall demeanor. It lays focus on your critical thinking, your approach to practical problems, and how you apply the learned knowledge to give out the best solutions for your country. 

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Vast syllabus 

UPSC has a vast syllabus. Not only vast, but the complexity is yet another factor that adds to the difficulty. There are two levels for the written exams:

1. Prelims
2. Main exams 

Prelims and Main exams consist of a variety of subjects ranging from Indian History to Politics, World geography to Environmental ecology, World affairs to English language and the list goes on. After you clear such hard obstacles, you have to face the final interview which is yet another hurdle to cross. 

Negative marking

UPSC is objective in nature. Thus, you need to select one option out of four. But, the ease stops here because every wrong answer has a negative marking. So either you have to be sure to select the answer or you have to leave it.

All of the above points make UPSC one of the toughest exams in the world. You have to devote your entire time with no distractions to pass it. Because with smart work and determination, there is no mountain that human beings can’t overcome.

All the best to all the future aspirants!!!

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