From Surviving On Home Tuitions To AIR 62: UPSC Success Story Of A Milkman’s Daughter

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They say `nothing is impossible` for those who have made up their mind to pursue their dreams, come what may! What better example to prove this true than the story we are about to share with you? One just needs a crystal clear focus on the goal in order to achieve one`s cherished goal.

IAS Anuradha Pal encountered the ups and downs of life in ways best known to her. But what is unique about her story is that she didn’t for once think of quitting her dream- to become an IAS officer one day! 

Rest assured, the story of Anuradha Pal will definitely motivate and inspire you in every sense of the word. Continue reading this article to learn more about Anuradha’s UPSC CSE journey, preparation strategies, and the obstacles she fought.

To be recommended in the final merit list of the Union Public Service Commission, Civil Services Examination (UPSC CSE), one needs preparation that is comprehensive, consistent, and competent. To assuage the monotony of the immense workload ahead, a UPSC aspirant needs unwavering moral, social, and economic support from family and friends as well.

Academic Background Of IAS Anuradha Pal

Anuradha Pal’s UPSC CSE journey is something worth emulating by every aspirant. She completed her schooling at Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya Haridwar. She completed her B. Tech in Electronics and Communication in 2008 from GB Pant University. Right after her graduation, she got selected to work with the IT giant, Tech Mahindra.

Even while at Tech Mahindra, her passion to become an IAS officer continued to nudge her. Eventually, she decided to quit her job and joined the College of Technology Roorkee as a lecturer for three years. As a lecturer, she managed her time side by side, preparing for the UPSC CSE. 

In 2012, she cleared the exam with an AIR of 451 and was recommended to the Indian Revenue Service (IRS). Stubborn, as she was to be an IAS, attempted to take the exam again in 2015 and secured an impressive AIR 62. She was eventually recommended to the IAS, which fulfilled her long-awaited dream!

IAS Anuradha Pal's Family & Struggles 

IAS Anuradha Pal comes from Haridwar belonging to a very humble family. Her mother was a homemaker, while her father was a milkman who was the sole bread earner in the family. Her father attended school till 5th standard while her mother never got the opportunity to attend school.

Anuradha’s family wanted her to get married at an early age. However, her mother recognized that her daughter was a very intelligent girl. She had bigger dreams for herself and was therefore supported by the available resources to allow her to continue her studies. When Anuradha decided to move to Delhi to prepare for UPSC CSE, her mother confirmed and supported this decision. 

Over the course of time, Anuradha realized that the financial support from her family was not able to cover her expenses. In order to generate some money, she gave home tuition for students thereby earning some money to support herself while preparing for the exam. 

UPSC CSE Strategy Of IAS Anuradha Pal

IAS Anuradha Pal’s preparation strategy for the UPSC CSE was one of perfect time management with clear-cut achievable goals. In one of her recent videos available on Youtube, Anuradha vividly shared why she had to move to Delhi for the preparation as her hometown Haridwar lacked proper resources for this exam. She also joined the Nirvana IAS Academy in Delhi. 

While working at Tech Mahindra and later as a lecturer in a college in order to support herself in whichever way possible, Anuradha kept preparing for both her attempts. Multi-tasking like this was not easy but she decided to divide her time into slots and make smaller targets that are easier to achieve.

IAS Anuradha Pal wrote her papers in Hindi Medium as it was her firm belief that individuals must have a good command over the language irrespective of the medium they opt for. This will also help one to write succinct and meaningful answers. She also recommends that reading NCERT books is an essential step if one wants to clear the UPSC CSE.

UPSC CSE Optional Subject

Anuradha Pal chose History as her optional subject. According to her, choosing history over any other optional subjects has benefits in the following ways: 

• History is an interesting subject as it explains a lot of things from the past and relates it with what is happening currently in the economy, socio-politics, etc.
• Aspirants can treat it as a story and it becomes interesting and easy to understand. 
• In history, there are no big formulas or concepts that an aspirant has to memorize.
• Studying history develops a good reading habit as well.
• It is, by and large, a static subject, and there are not a lot of changes in the syllabus.
• Attempting UPSC CSE more than once, preparation will get easier as writing about the historical perspective of things provides in-depth arguments with the passage of time.
• In general studies papers, both prelims and mains contain portions from history. Aspirants can optimize time by preparing for optional and GS papers together. 
• Topics in history will also be helpful while aspirants attempt the essay paper.

Key Takeaways For Aspirants From Anuradha's Story 

IAS Anuradha Pal’s stupendous determination and perseverance made her an IAS officer today. You, too, can do it like her once you set your mind to achieve your dream career. Come what may in life- to become an IAS officer and a civil servant serving the nation while inspiring others along the way. 

Indeed IAS Anuradha Pal’s story is what is called a true underdog story that continues to inspire thousands of aspirants to this day. You as an aspirant now but soon-to-be an IAS officer is what we are waiting to write about! 

All the best aspirants!

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