UPSC civil services topper: Shruti Sharma of Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh has topped the UPSC 2021 examination. Shruti says she was confident of clearing the exam but never thought of getting number one rank.
"I still can’t get my head around it but it’s a great feeling. I didn’t expect Rank 1. I was very anxious, but it was a pleasant surprise. I'm overjoyed, but it's hard for me to believe that I passed and topped the exam," she said in a TV interview with a private channel.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in a tweet extended hearty congratulations to Shruti Sharma of UP for securing first position in UPSC Civil Services Examination-2021. "Wishing you all the best for your bright future. This glorious achievement is the reward of their hard work, dedication and patience," he said. He also congratulated all the candidates who passed the examination.
Prime minister Narendra Modi and Congress president Rahul Gandhi also congratulated all the candidates who had managed to crack the UPSC exam.
An alumna of St Stephen's College, she later enrolled at JNU to pursue an MA in history, but could not complete it. "I then registered for an MA in sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, but will have to stop in the middle," she said.
{{/usCountry}}An alumna of St Stephen's College, she later enrolled at JNU to pursue an MA in history, but could not complete it. "I then registered for an MA in sociology at the Delhi School of Economics, but will have to stop in the middle," she said.
{{/usCountry}}Talking about how she prepared for the exam, Shruti said, "This journey required a lot of hard work and patience."
When asked about her advice to students preparing for the UPSC, she said, "You should do what you like. That will give you the required motivation in this journey."
Shruti cracked UPSC in her second attempt. "This is my second attempt. Due to some issues with the medium of instruction, I had to take my mains examination in Hindi. I missed my interview call by one mark," she recalled.
Shruti also explained the strategy behind her success and said, “It's not about the number of hours spent studying; it's about the quality of the study. Studying is important, but counting hours is not. Strategy is also significant, so one should keep their sources limited while studying. My notes, newspapers, and practice answer writing helped me a lot beside the books."
Shruti attended Cambridge Primary School in Delhi from kindergarten to fifth grade for her primary education. "I completed my secondary education at Delhi's Sardar Patel Vidyalaya," she said.