UPPSC PCS 2017 topper Amit Shukla proves failures can’t stop the ambitious ones

Determination to fulfil dream is PCS toppers’ success mantra. Amit had earlier appeared in PCS- 2015 but was unable to qualify. However, in his subsequent attempt in 2016, he was selected as a commercial tax officer. But, Amit, whose family at present resides in Prayagraj, was not satisfied with his achievement and continued to prepare for the PCS exam and topped it this time.

Determination and repeated efforts despite failure have been the success mantra for Amit Shukla, who topped the Combined State/Upper Subordinate Services Exam- 2017, commonly known as UPPCS-2017.

Amit Shukla (second from left) with his parents (HT)

A native of Kunda in Pratapgarh district, Amit had made three attempts before tasting success in style this year in the results announced on Thursday night.

Amit had earlier appeared in PCS- 2015 but was unable to qualify. However, in his subsequent attempt in 2016, he was selected as a commercial tax officer. But, Amit, whose family at present resides in Prayagraj, was not satisfied with his achievement and continued to prepare for the PCS exam and topped it this time.

He says that for any aspirant there should be no such thing as time slot while preparing for the exam. “There is no magic mantra like 8 to 10 hours of studies per day. In fact, it is the overall commitment and your ambition that counts,” he says.

Amit says that he used to set target for three days after which he used to take a break of half day watching cricket and reading comics as a past time. Despite completing his engineering degree, he opted for social work and geography as a subject for PCS exam.

Amit has done his schooling from Allahabad’s Ganga Gurukulam School and scored 81% in class 10th and 84% in class 12. He was selected for NIT-Bhopal in 2014 where he completed BTech (Mechanical) after which he also joined a private company but soon left the job to fulfil his ambition.

Likewise, the second position holder in the overall merit, Anupam Mishra is also an engineer and had left a cushy job to fulfil his ambition and a promise that he had made to his grandfather who wanted him to become a bureaucrat.

Mishra had done his schooling from Prayagraj’s Government Inter College (GIC) and completed intermediate in 2006 scoring 85% and in 2012 he completed his BTech in Computer Science from MNNIT-Allahabad.

Thereafter, he was employed in a US firm as a software engineer but left the job in 2016 and started preparing for from Civil Services. In 2017, he failed to qualify for Civil services (mains) by just one mark.

Mishra shares that his ambition is to become an IAS officer and self-study and self-confidence were the magic words for him for tasting success. He does not believe in taking any coaching classes and says that one should rely on self-preparation to crack the exams. Studies for at least six to seven hours every day is necessary, he claims.

He had taken philosophy and sociology for his PCS exams.

The third topper of PCS-2017 is also from Allahabad. Meenakshi Pandey is presently serving on the post of Naib Tehsildar in the district after qualifying PCS-2016. Excited at soon becoming a sub divisional magistrate post cracking PCS-2017, she believes that there is no shortcut to success and one should continue preparation with full dedication to crack any exam. She also maintains that one should make and follow a proper time table to prepare for the exams and refer to NCERT books and current affair magazines as part of their preparations.