Buxar girl gets 2nd rank in UPSC civil services exam

Garima Lohia, 24, moved to her native place Buxar from Delhi for exam preparation, unlike many other aspirants who migrate to different educational hubs from small towns.

Buxar girl Garima Lohia has made Bihar proud by securing the second position in the coveted all India civil services examination conducted by the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) in 2022, results of which were declared on Tuesday.

Garima Lohia. (HT Photo)

Lohia, 24, moved to her native place Buxar from Delhi for exam preparation, unlike many other aspirants who migrate to different educational hubs from small towns.

A commerce graduate from Delhi University, Lohia has cleared the prestigious exam in the second attempt.

Talking to reporters, she said, “I decided to prepare for civil services exam in 2020 during Covid-19 lockdown. After returning home, I started self study and also took help from online study platforms. In my first attempt, I could not clear the prelims examination. I again worked hard and cleared the exam in the second attempt. I was expecting to clear the exam but I did not imagine I would get second rank.”

“Preparation strategies vary from person to person. I usually studied for 15 hours in a day. I referred to different books and online study material. My family always supported me. I believe one should prepare for exams wherever they feel comfortable for better productivity. My mother constantly motivated me during my preparation. She she used to stay awake with me,” she said.

Lohia’s father Narayan Prasad Lohia passed away in 2015. Mother Sunita Devi is a homemaker. Garima has an elder sister and a younger brother.

Celebrating her success, she remembered her father with wet eyes. “It is his blessing behind my success. I have kept his photo everywhere for inspiration,” she said.

Lohia completed her matriculation from Woodstock School in Buxar. Then she went to Varanasi for intermediate and later took admission in Delhi’s Kirori Mal College in commerce stream.

“I aspired to become an IAS officer so that I can resolve the issue faced by common people at the ground level. I wish to serve Bihar. I have got so many things from the state, so I feel responsible for returning to the state as well,” she said.

A total of 933 candidates qualified for the UPSC 2022 examination. Of them, 180 have been selected for Indian Administrative Services.

Meanwhile, chief minister Nitish Kumar congratulated all the successful candidates, including topper Ishita Kishore, whose parents hail from Patna.