Pratibha Verma, daughter of schoolteacher-parents from Sultanpur in UP, has secured the top rank among women candidates in the civil services examination this year. The 27-year-old, who had earlier done her B.Tech from IIT-Delhi, speaks to Neeraj Jha on her success story: Excerpts:
How has been your journey from the small town of Sultanpur to the top...?
I had resolved in my childhood that I would become an IAS officer. Even though I had made it to the Indian Revenue Service last year, I was still focussed on IAS. But it was a difficult journey. You need a lot of energy to stay focussed on your studies for ten hours a day...It was difficult to groom myself as an IAS officer but with practice and focus on my goal, I completed this journey.
What was your daily routine?
I used to religiously spend two to three hours every day reading newspapers, whether it was before the Prelims, Mains or the interview. I would then spend the next three hours on theory, and another three hours on revision and the last two hours on practice. Yoga in the evening and meditation were part of my routine, which helped me stay calm. It is important for your mind to stay focussed on studies. It is not necessary to study books for 24 hours. Smart work and focus are as important as hard work.
Tell us about your school background?
There are many stoppages in the journey, since my birth in a small town to this stage. I opted for science in class XI after passing class X in Hindi medium from UP school examination board. Later, I cleared the JEE to get admission in IIT-Delhi and worked with Vodafone for two years after completing my B.Tech in 2014. But I had left Sultanpur with a dream to become an IAS officer. So I quit my job and started preparing for civil services. I got 489th rank in the 2018 civil services examination. In my next attempt, I overcame my shortcomings and made it to the all-India third rank. Since both my parents are teachers, there was always an educational environment at home since my childhood. My parents did not ever discriminate between their sons and daughters, which I had often seen in my neighbourhood.
Did you ever get dejected or lose hope?
My morale was down when I could not clear the Prelims in 2017. I began to think that when I was unable to cross the first stage, where was the question of clearing the next levels. Each stage is more difficult than the other. But my family helped me retain my self-confidence. When I appeared in the examination last year, I was very nervous. I was also not keeping good health. I had never thought of getting the third rank.
Being a girl, did you face any problem in your journey to IAS?
When I was in class IX, I suffered from anaemia and could not go to school. I would also have fears of facing eve teasing while going for coaching in class XI. My father would always follow me on his bicycle. I even had to file a complaint with the police after being harassed in the past three-four years. My father told me that giving up studies due to fears of anti-social elements is no solution.
What would be your message to aspirants?
There is a big market out there in the name of coaching. There is no guarantee that they will help them crack this examination. One should read the standard books prescribed for the syllabus and the newspapers regularly.
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