UPSC topper Aditya: Failures test your perseverance
I took help from mentors and some previous UPSC passouts who guided me well which helped me a lot in cracking the examination, he said
Top rank holder in UPSC Civil Services Examination 2023, Aditya Srivastava, a Lucknowite, says that failure cannot be a deterrent in achieving the desired goal.
Addressing a press conference organised by his alma mater City Montessori School on Monday, Aditya also shared some tips with the students which, according to him, helped him clear the most coveted exam.
Aditya studied at CMS for 15 years between 1999 to 2014.
He said that he did not crack the prelims in his first attempt and got 236 rank in his second attempt. But as he wanted to become an IAS, he put in some extra hard work and stood number one in third attempt in Civil Services mains examination-2023.
“Failures only test your perseverance. I had my goal fixed that I wanted to become an IAS. I kept on trying and succeeded finally. My advice to youngsters preparing for UPSC is never give up. With better time management and by keeping the right kind of balance between smart work and hard work, a goal can be achieved,” he said.
“UPSC Civil Services exam helped me learn from my mistakes,” said Aditya who received a grand welcome at the Lucknow airport on his arrival from Hyderabad where he is undergoing training at National Police Academy.
“On the day of result, it never crossed my mind that I could be a topper. Infact, till morning, I prayed for the top 70 slot. As the news broke, it took a bit of time to sink in that I got the first rank. I don’t think anyone can say that he or she was expecting to get first rank,” he said.
On the issue of preparations through coaching institutes, Aditya said, “Primarily, I relied on self-study because I feel that coaching does not lead to full utilisation of your potential. I took help from mentors and some previous UPSC passouts who guided me well which helped me a lot in cracking the examination,” he said.
He cracked IIT-JEE along with his board examinations and pursued 5-year integrated B Tech/M Tech from IIT Kanpur in electrical engineering.
He later got a high-paying job at Goldman Sachs where he worked for a little over one year. But his dream to become a civil servant prompted him to quit the job and prepare seriously for UPSC.
His mother Abha Srivasatav said “It was all possible because of the blessings of the people and the Almighty, and his hard work. His father also encouraged him to qualify for the exam.”
President of CMS Geeta Gandhi Kingdon and CMS Aliganj principal Jyoti Kashyap said it was a proud moment for the school which is strongly based on the value system laid by their founder late Jagdish Gandhi. Anand Mahindra, chairman and team member, Mahindra Group in a social media post had congratulated Aditya. He wrote: “May you—and many more like you—enable our country to take a giant leap forward.”
