Navita Kumari, AIR-251 CSE-22 Working Professional Journey, Prelims, Mains & Sociology

A Journey of Perseverance: Navita Kumari's Path to Success in UPSC CSE 2022

Navita Kumari's journey to the prestigious Civil Services Examination (CSE) was marked by determination, resilience, and a relentless pursuit of her dreams. With a background in chemical engineering and over a decade of work experience in the corporate sector, Navita decided to take on the challenge of the UPSC CSE, determined to achieve her goal of becoming a civil servant.

Introduction

Navita Kumari, a chemical engineering graduate from Harcourt Butler Technological University, Kanpur, had a thriving career in the private sector, working for companies like Shell India, Cairn India Ltd, and Tata Chemicals Ltd. However, despite her professional success, she felt a growing sense of dissatisfaction and a desire to contribute to society in a more meaningful way. It was in 2018, after working for nearly five years in the corporate world, that Navita decided to pursue her dream of becoming a civil servant.

The Journey: From Setbacks to Success

Navita's journey to the UPSC CSE was not without its challenges. This was her fifth attempt, and in the previous four attempts, she was unable to clear the Prelims examination. Undeterred, Navita analyzed the reasons for her past failures and identified key areas that needed improvement. She realized that her lack of solving sufficient full-length mock papers, inadequate analysis of previous year questions, and the neglect of medieval and ancient history were major contributors to her unsuccessful attempts. Additionally, the time crunch of balancing her professional responsibilities and civil service preparation had also been a significant hurdle.

Prelims Strategy: Mastering the Basics

Navita's Prelims strategy was centered around developing a strong command over the subject knowledge of history, polity, economy, environment, and geography. She emphasized the importance of thorough revisions of the static syllabus, ensuring that it became her strength. For current affairs, Navita relied on reading one newspaper, either The Hindu or the Indian Express, with a focus on in-depth analysis of relevant articles. She also made it a point to solve daily MCQs based on current affairs and revise them through monthly compilations.

Recognizing the importance of practice, Navita solved more than 40 mock papers from various institutes, which helped her learn the art of elimination and remember facts in a question-answer format. She also delved into 15 years of previous year question papers, ensuring that she understood all the options deeply, as they had a tendency to be repeated.

Navita's Prelims booklist included standard resources such as Laxmikant for polity, Spectrum for modern history, Nitin Singhania for art and culture, and Shankar for environment, among others. She also utilized VISION IAS materials, BYJU's Prelims Q/A series, and Mrunal sir's lectures on Unacademy for economics.

Mains Strategy: Articulation and Analysis

Mains examination is the most significant stage that assures one's selection, and Navita's strategy focused on both knowledge and articulation. She began each answer with basic definitions, facts, figures, and rankings from various reports or committees, ensuring a strong foundation. In the body of the answer, she addressed the main demand of the question while also mentioning other relevant information, such as challenges and opportunities.

Navita emphasized the importance of making the conclusion solution-oriented with a clear way forward. She utilized bullet points, flow charts, and cyclic diagrams to enhance the visual appeal and organization of her answers. Navita also incorporated quotes and sayings from renowned personalities, particularly in the Ethics paper, to add value to her responses.

Navita's Mains booklist included the same standard books as her Prelims preparation, complemented by additional resources such as VISION IAS value addition notes, VISION Mains 365, and BYJUs Mains series videos.

Sociology Strategy: A Scoring Optional

Navita recognized Sociology as a scoring optional subject that could be leveraged in both GS1 and the Essays. She relied heavily on previous year questions, which often get repeated in one form or another. To enrich her answers, Navita incorporated quotes from sociological thinkers, current affairs examples, and references to village studies. She also used flow charts to make her responses more representative.

Navita's Sociology booklist included resources such as Vikas Ranjan Sir's class notes, Nitin Sangwan's "Essential Sociology," IGNOU material, and Haralambos and Holborn's work (selectively for Paper 1). She also referred to toppers' copies and guidance from Level Up IAS Nishat Sir for additional value addition.

Conclusion

Navita Kumari's journey to UPSC CSE 2022 success was not without its challenges, but her unwavering determination, meticulous planning, and disciplined approach ultimately paid off. Her story serves as an inspiration to all those aspiring to the civil services, reminding them that with hard work, perseverance, and the right strategies, success is within reach.

As Mahatma Gandhi said, "Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory." Navita's journey exemplifies this sentiment, and her achievement is a testament to the power of dedication and resilience.