Meet Ambika Raina, The J&K Girl Who Cleared UPSC In Her Third Attempt – News18

Ambika Raina, hailing from Jammu and Kashmir, has accomplished a remarkable feat by cracking the prestigious Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination. Her father, a Major General in the Indian Army, instilled a sense of discipline and determination within her. Ambika’s schooling was influenced by her father’s transferrable job, leading her to study in various states. She pursued a degree in architecture from CEPT University in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, where she even received an internship offer from a company in Zurich, Switzerland, along with job offers from other companies. Despite these enticing opportunities, Ambika chose to dedicate herself to preparing for the UPSC exam.

In an interview, Ambika shared insights into her preparation strategy. Although she did not clear the exam in her first two attempts, she persevered and analyzed the reasons behind her previous failures. She adjusted her preparation strategy accordingly, realizing the significance of mock test papers. Ambika emphasized that mock tests allow aspirants to evaluate their readiness for the exam. Additionally, she recommended solving previous years’ question papers as an effective way to enhance preparation.

Ambika said that the internet has been a valuable resource for UPSC exam preparation for her. She highlighted its vast knowledge repository and stressed the importance of utilizing it effectively. According to Ambika, aspirants should learn to filter and utilize the abundance of study materials available online.

Ambika encountered various challenges during her preparation, particularly due to her educational background. Not having studied humanities subjects initially impacted her confidence. To overcome this, she extensively researched interviews of over 100 UPSC toppers and devised her study plan. Ambika focused on the syllabus, previous years’ question papers, and the answer copies of previous toppers. She also mentioned specific books that aided her preparation, such as M. Laxmikant’s book for Political Science, Spectrum Books Pvt Ltd’s book for Modern History, NCERT books for Geography, Shankar IAS Academy’s book for Environmental Studies, Nitin Singhania’s book on Art and Culture, and monthly compilations by Vision IAS for current affairs.

Ambika’s journey exemplifies resilience, adaptability, and meticulous planning. Her commitment to learning from past setbacks and her tailored preparation approach enabled her to secure an impressive rank in the UPSC examination. Aspiring candidates can draw inspiration from her story and adopt her recommended strategies to increase their chances of success.