Candidates share success mantra

‘Reading newspapers half the job’
Dr Aawesh Titarmare | 613 AIR
This graduate from Government Dental College in Nagpur secured 613th all India rank (AIR) in his second successful attempt, but his score is not enough to get him into the IAS cadre, his ultimate dream. Last year, he cracked the exam securing 469th AIR and was selected for Indian Revenue Services (IRS).Aawesh followed his brother Avdhesh, who secured 21st AIR in 2006. “UPSC aspirants should start preparations right from graduation. Even if they regularly read newspapers, they win half the battle.”
‘Students should focus on languages’
Abhijit Shevale | 90 AIR
Pursuing training from NADT, this Belgaum boy cracked the UPSC exam for the second time to grab the second spot in state. But his first tryst with civil services exam in 2012 was a disaster as he couldn’t even qualify for prelims. “However, my parents motivated me to take the exam again.” He said his experience as dentist while working at Dharavi boosted his morale to serve the poor. “In rural areas, from where I belong, we have a huge talent pool, but our youths lack language skills,” he said.
‘I cleared exam in eighth attempt’
Gaurav Malvi | 1,057 AIR
Successive failures didn’t stop him from achieving ultimate aim of cracking civil services exams. An administrative officer with an insurance company, Gaurav was unsuccessful for as many as seven times in the UPSC exams. But his strong will helped him to crack it on the eighth attempt. “Never lose hope and don’t care about the number of attempts. Ultimately, only your success counts. I am 32 and have one more attempt to go which I will give with more rigour.”
‘Work hard to make your dreams come true’
Shweta Patil | 835th AIR
Currently working with RBI, this 26-year-old cleared the exam in the fifth attempt. A graduate from engineering college in Pune, Shweta had a childhood dream to become a collector. Juggling between her job and studies, she dedicated time for both by studying at night. “I had decided this time that if I failed, I will not attempt it again. It was a do-or-die situation,” said Shweta. “Work hard with motivation to make your dreams come true,” she advised civil services aspirants.
(Interviews: Vaibhav Ganjapure & Dhanashree Kumar)