Ambika Raina: UPSC Success Story of an Army Kid Turned IAS Officer Who Chose Nation Over Foreign Job
Ambika Raina: UPSC Success Story of an Army Kid Turned IAS Officer Who Chose Nation Over Foreign Job
Ambika Raina, hailing from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, has scripted her success story in the UPSC examinations, achieving the 164th rank in 2022. Born to a Major General in the Army, Ambika’s early life involved frequent relocations due to her father’s transferable job. Despite the challenges, her parents consistently supported her decisions, fostering a conducive environment for her academic pursuits.
Ambika completed her graduation in Architecture from CEPT University in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. In 2020, even before graduating, she secured an internship in a Zurich-based company in Switzerland, presenting a significant opportunity. Although job offers awaited her after graduation, Ambika felt a calling to contribute to her country.
Making a tough decision, Ambika returned to India from abroad to prepare for the UPSC exam.
Millions of aspirants fight all odds to merely appear for the exam. But only a handful can crack the exam in one year.
Her journey was marked by determination, clear goals, and a commitment to overcome challenges. Despite facing setbacks in her initial attempts, she persevered, adapting and refining her strategy after each attempt.
Recognizing the importance of mock tests, Ambika incorporated them into her preparation, realizing they constitute 70% of effective preparation. She emphasized the wealth of knowledge available on the internet, emphasizing the need to filter information. Solving previous years’ question papers became an integral part of her preparation strategy.
Coming from a background outside humanities, Ambika initially felt lost in the vast UPSC syllabus. To overcome this, she watched over a hundred topper interviews, shaping her study plan based on their strategies. For the UPSC Mains exam, she built her foundation on syllabus analysis, previous years’ question papers, topper copies, and extensive answer writing practice.
Training her mind and understanding her mistakes were crucial aspects of Ambika’s success. She relied on specific books for different subjects, including Laxmikant for Political Science, Spectrum for Modern History, NCERT for Geography, Shankar for Environment, Nitin Singhania for Art and Culture, and Vision for Current Affairs through monthly compilations.
Ambika Raina’s UPSC success stands as a testament to her resilience, adaptability, and focused approach to achieving her goals, inspiring aspirants with her journey.
