ABHISHEK AUGUSTYA, 27
HE’S HOME IN 5TH ATTEMPT
(RS Pura, J&K) Rank: 38
Abhishek Augustya, who belongs to the border belt of RS Pura in Jammu district, secured the highest rank in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Abhishek is currently undergoing probation at the National Academy of Audit and Accounts in Shimla.
“This was my fifth attempt. I had been trying since 2015 and in 2018, I was ranked 268th,” said Abhishek.
Abhishek’s father is a zoology lecturer at Government Higher Secondary School, Sai, and his mother is a teacher in a private school. His sister is pursuing her postgraduation in surgery from GMC, Jammu. “I always wanted to do something for the people and dreamt of cracking the civil service examination in school. In college days, I met some friends, who were keen on civil services. They further strengthened my resolve,” he said.
He said in his first attempt in 2015, he opted for coaching and thereafter prepared on his own.
“It took me five years to get here. Don’t give up on your dreams. Keep working hard and keep putting your best efforts. Success will be yours,” he said when asked what was his message to the youth. tricity (Chandigarh, Panchkula and Mohali).
Only child of her parents, the 24-year-old cleared the exam in her second attempt.
Her mother Raji Shrivastava is also an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer and is currently working as principal secretary, social security women and child development, Punjab.
Her father, Pramod Shrivastava, is a retired Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer.
Irrespective of her parents being civil officers, Riddhima said her parents always gave her the freedom to choose her own path and follow her dreams. “They are happy with the result, and have been immensely supportive throughout my journey,” she said.
An alumna of Punjab Engineering College (PEC), Riddhima completed her engineering in electronics and communication in October 2017, before starting preparations for UPSC.
“It was always on my mind, but I made up my mind to prepare for UPSC only after passing out from PEC.” On her success mantra, she said, “More than motivation, it was discipline that paved the way for me. I stuck to rigorous preparations, while following a strict schedule.”
UPSC preliminary and main exams and had reached the interview stage,” Darpan said, adding that this year’s result had taken her by surprise as she did not expect to get through.
“I was already preparing for my third attempt when the results were declared on Tuesday,” she added.
After her previous attempt, she chose medical science as her optional subject, which she feels worked in her favour. “Usually candidates opt for a high-scoring and easy optional subject. But, I didn’t want to lose touch with what I had studied, so I opted for the harder subject. I scored well in it, which made a huge difference.”
While IAS remains Darpan’s first choice, she would not mind either of the Indian Police Service (IPS) or the IFS.
Darpan’s father Gurinder Singh Walia is a joint director with the Punjab department of animal husbandry. Her mother, Navneet Walia, who holds an Mphil degree in economics, teaches underprivileged children pro-bono.
Her younger brother, Aaftab Singh, is pursuing a Btech in information and technology engineering from Vellore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu.