Shubham Kumar's Rise to the Top: A Self-Made UPSC Journey

January 30, 2024

4 Minutes

Photo Credits: Current Bokaro

Introduction

Shubham Kumar’s journey from a village in Bihar to securing AIR 41 in the UPSC CSE 2022 exam is an inspiration to every aspirant in the country. Despite coming from a family where no one was in the Government service, he cracked this exam on his own, without any guidance. Here is how he achieved this amazing feat. 

The Beginning

As a young child, Shubham had the opportunity to witness the commanding presence of an IPS officer during a school event. Shubham, who had no prior knowledge of UPSC at that time, observed how the officer’s presence garnered respect from everyone. It was only when he was in his ninth standard that he finally got acquainted with the UPSC exam. Since the pattern of the exam had changed during those days, he familiarised himself with the new format and syllabus.  

Giving 200% on the First Try

After passing 10th, he considered choosing Humanities as it would help him in cracking UPSC, but ultimately went ahead with PCM because he believed in having a backup plan. 

Two years later, Shubham wasn’t able to succeed in the JEE Advance paper. His father encouraged him to appear for another attempt. This was a moment of anxiety and uncertainty for Shubham since he believed that repeating the syllabus that he had already covered once in his 11th and 12th standard would lead to his stagnation. The decision to not appear for another attempt was not an admission of defeat but a strategic pivot towards a new direction. Hence, he went on to complete his graduation from Hansraj College in Delhi. Shubham held a similar mindset during his UPSC preparation. He concluded that if he put in his best effort in the first attempt, then he wouldn't have to appear for another attempt and go over the same syllabus again. Because of this mentality, he gave his 200% on the first attempt, and with the right strategy and luck, he cleared the exam.

Settling on a Motivation Factor

Shubham’s motivation was his fear of stagnation. He did not want to remain in the same position while others proceeded forward in life. He explained that each individual can have different motivating factors, but for him, it was this fear.

Life-changing Childhood Decisions

Shubham recounted how his parents sent him to a hostel at the age of ten. Initially, he was distraught by this change, but later on, he was grateful for this decision and felt it helped him grow as a person. 

Talking about his UPSC preparation, he used to live alone in Delhi. He completed his whole preparation independently without any coaching. Because he had the experience of living in the hostel, adaptability became a big part of his personality. Even during his preparation, he didn't face any mental health issues due to this trait. He also filled IFS as his first preference because he believed he would be able to adapt easily in any foreign country. 

Drawing Motivation from Within

Shubham recommended that before deciding your strategy, you need to confirm that your motivation to achieve this dream is internal, not external. He conveyed that you should not pursue this exam because of the pressure of society or your parents, but because you want to achieve this dream for yourself. Aside from having the interest, one also needs to have the required aptitude to crack the exam. He also mentions how originality is important. How you're differentiating yourself from other aspirants in every aspect like your personality and answer writing matters. 

Unique Strategy

Shubham encourages practising a lot of mocks and presents a simple approach to perceive your test results: if they're good, use them to boost your confidence, if they're bad, learn from your mistakes. He made his own notes for all subjects instead of referring to any toppers’ notes. This gave him the ability to create short and crisp notes. He could make additions like data and keywords to his notes anytime he wanted. 

He advised aspirants to read newspapers. He is thankful to his father for helping him foster this habit. His father used to read the newspaper which inspired him to start reading the paper from his childhood. He didn’t read any specific news as per the UPSC syllabus, instead he read whatever interested him since he preferred remaining up-to-date with whatever was going on around him.

Looking Beyond UPSC

Shubham also presents a thought-provoking perspective that many aspirants tend to overlook: having a life beyond UPSC. He says that UPSC should never be the end goal in your life. He also speaks about taking care of one’s mental health and talking with your friends. 

Creating a Personalised Strategy

When it comes to creating an efficient strategy, Shubham says aspirants should not follow his strategy strictly. There is no perfect strategy. Keep a strategy that is fixed at the core, but flexible as well. Keep tweaking it as you constantly watch other toppers’ strategies. For the interview stage, he gave a lot of mock interviews. He states that the interview is a game of confidence. 

Shubham’s final words were that UPSC is not necessarily challenging. If you have the right confidence, strategy, and consistency, you will smoothly sail over the whole process. 

Conclusion

In this era where challenges are inevitable and success is difficult to come by, Shubham’s resolve to give his best effort in the first attempt is an example of resilience and an unyielding commitment to personal growth. This was a story which proved that more often than not, it is your childhood experiences and people that influence and shape the trajectory of your life. Shubham’s journey is a beacon of light for all the aspirants out there who are struggling alone. His determination that drives him to achieve anything with full force continues to inspire us.