Meet Meera, A Kerala Woman Who Says 'No' To Conventional Preparation Routes, Secured AIR 6 In UPSC

UPSC Success Story: What makes Meera K so successful is that she never followed the conventional preparation routes and never imitated the strategies of toppers. After graduating from Government Engineering College, Thrissur in 2016 with a B Tech in Mechanical Engineering, she was hired in Bengaluru through campus selection, but her true calling was public service. She took the UPSC Civil Services Examination for the first time in 2017 without much preparation, and the outcome was predictable: she did not qualify. This made her more determined to prepare for the UPSC CSE, so she quit her well-paying job rather than take a plane to Delhi.

UPSC Exam: Success In 4th Try

Meera studied in a number of tutorials in Kerala. Her own preferences were for General Studies, Optional Subjects, and even Test Series. Even though she had entered the program, she did not rely only on coaching. Never one to back down, she tried to think of a strategy that considered her advantages as well as her disadvantages. On her second attempt, she passed the preliminary exam and the main exam. Still, her luck was not perfect. She just missed the final selection by a slim margin with just 12 points. Bad luck continued in her third effort too. She was only one mark short of qualifying this time. All of Meera's losses just strengthened her to resolve. With a rank of 6, she secured a spot in the UPSC Mains, Interview, and Prelims, all on her fourth attempt! 

Meera K IAS: Secret Of Cracking UPSC

Candidates should prioritize their preparation for the UPSC preliminary exam, says Meera. It is crucial to maintain a constant focus on current events, read newspapers, and build your foundation with NCERT books. Success can be achieved by taking notes and creating a well-thought-out revision plan. In an interview Meera said, "Good forward planning, together with diligence, hard work, and an optimistic outlook, are always beneficial. There should be space for pauses, and it doesn't hurt to occasionally engage in some fun." As for Meera, she got ready for the UPSC by first understanding the syllabus and gathering her study materials. She advises improving one's planning in order to prepare. There will be setbacks, but success is achievable if one grows from them and keeps going.

As everyone knows, it's not easy to become an IPS or IAS official. Getting through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) or Civil Services Exam requires a lot of days and nights of struggle. Many people have the desire of passing the UPSC exams and getting hired as an IAS or IPS official, but very few really succeed in doing so. Some candidates experience success after a few tries, but some achieve success on their very first try. Many UPSC candidates look inspiration to Meera K from Kerala, who persevered in the face of failure and received an AIR 6 in the UPSC 2020 exam.