87 FROM MAHARASHTRA ACHIEVE SUCCESS IN UPSC
The successful candidates share snapshots of their journey and experience with the FPJ
Eighty seven Maharashtra candidates have succeeded in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE), whose results were declared on Tuesday.
According to the state government, Sameer Prakash Khode who secured all-India rank (AIR) 42, has topped Maharashtra. Khode is followed by Neha Uddhav Singh Rajput, AIR 51, and Aniket Dnyaneshwar Hirde, AIR 81. Speaking with The Free Press Journal (FPJ), Khode credited his success to IAS Shubham Bhaisare who guided him throughout his journey.
IPS officer Hirde who achieved AIR 81 told the FPJ, “My parents are my motivation, they work in the state government and I always wanted to get into this field.” Hirde, who lives in Tikuji Ni Wadi in Thane city, has done his graduation from IIT Bombay. Discussing his preparation, Hirde said that he tried to limit his resources and revise as religiously as he could. “The whole interview was more discussion-oriented and opinion-based. It was very
good,” he said.
Smit Patel, who secured AIR 256, said, “I will still be taking the exam next year again but it is still a good feeling to clear the exams.” Explaining his background Patel said, “I come from a farming background. However, I wanted to do something for society and have some authoritative power to bring change.” Patel also said that this was his first interview and he really enjoyed it. “I prepared for my interview in Delhi and understood my weaknesses better and worked on it and then gave it a shot,” Patel added.
Vrushali Balpande, AIR
546, from Nashik, cleared the exam on her third attempt. Balpande said, “I graduated in 2020 from St Xavier’s College and have been preparing for UPSC ever since.” Discussing her previous attempts, Balpande said, “I think in my first two attempts, I was very underconfident and did not truly understand the depth of the exam. However, this year I understood the exam structure and prepared for the exams in Delhi.”
Apoorv Amrut Balpande, AIR 546, who cleared the exam on his fifth attempt, said, “My main paper went really well. I added examples also in my copy, which I think
gave it an edge as well.” “My family stood by me throughout this journey of five years. There was happiness and relief on their faces today after seeing me finally fulfilling my dream,” he added.
“My father was a superintendent in the police. He is my inspiration because he stood by me and did not let my dream die,” said Suraj Nikam from Nashik, who cleared the exams with AIR 706. Nikam achieved this success without taking any coaching either. He said, “The journey was hard, it took me some time to understand and rectify my mistake but I eventually got there in my fifth attempt.”