Antariksha Bahuguna Rank 1 UKPSC Lower PCS 2024: Excise Inspector
The UKPSC Lower PCS 2024 result brought a long-awaited reward for a patient aspirant from Pauri. Antariksha Bahuguna Rank 1 UKPSC Lower PCS 2024 secured the post of Excise Inspector. Moreover, he reached this goal after a journey of about 11 years.
He shared his story in a candid success talk with SAMVEG IAS. So, here are the key lessons from his preparation.
Major Highlights of Antariksha Bahuguna’s Interview with Samveg IAS
Background and Education
Antariksha belongs to Pauri. He did his schooling there and finished Class 12 at Kendriya Vidyalaya, Pauri. Then, he completed his B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from GB Pant University, Pantnagar. He passed out in 2015. After that, he started preparing for competitive exams.
An 11-Year Journey and the Mains Hurdle
Interestingly, prelims was never his problem. In fact, he cleared it many times. However, answer writing held him back at the mains stage. Even when he cleared mains, his marks were not enough for the final merit list. So, mains became the biggest hurdle of his journey.
Prelims Strategy
Since prelims was his strong stage, his method is worth noting. He kept it simple:
- Basic sources: He read basic, standard resources. Then, he revised them many times.
- Mock tests: Above all, he gave a large number of mocks.
- PYQs: Previous year papers were his main source. In fact, he revised the Uttarakhand papers so often that he almost memorised them.
As a result, he never felt any fear of prelims. Also, his prelims score usually stayed above 100. So, he walked into every prelims with confidence.
Mains Strategy of Antariksha Bahuguna Rank 1 UKPSC Lower PCS 2024
Earlier, he focused more on reading than on writing. Also, he did not practise writing within the allotted time. Moreover, he gave only online mocks. However, online mocks never gave him a real feel of the exam hall.
So, in 2025 he changed his approach in three ways:
- First, he gave only offline, timed mock tests.
- Second, he read less and wrote more.
- Third, he revised what he had already studied, again and again.
Indeed, this shift finally took him past the mains stage. If you are new to this exam, our UKPSC Lower PCS exam guide explains the pattern and syllabus.
Interview Preparation
For the interview, he attended the orientation course at SAMVEG IAS. He did so in both the Upper PCS and Lower PCS cycles. Also, he gave two mock interviews during the Upper PCS cycle and one during the Lower PCS cycle. In fact, he kept giving mocks all year. Therefore, he had good practice and felt no fear of the interview.
Staying Motivated After Eight Mains
He began Uttarakhand-specific preparation in 2021. Since then, he appeared in eight mains exams. Each time, friends around him got selected while he stayed behind. Naturally, his self-esteem and confidence took a hit. At times, he even doubted whether he deserved it.
However, his family and friends kept lifting his confidence. Also, his teachers reviewed his answer copies and encouraged him. Finally, selected aspirants told him that his time would also come. Together, this support kept him going.
Booklist and Resources
He did not follow any unusual booklist. Instead, he kept his resources very limited:
- General studies: NCERT or Lucent, along with PYQs.
- Uttarakhand: Standard books such as Pariksha Vani.
- Current affairs: A regular current affairs source.
Then, he revised the same sources many times. For mains, he feels any good set of coaching notes can work. After all, answer writing plays the bigger role there.
Advice: Decide on One Exam Early
In his early years, he kept switching between exams. Sometimes he tried technical exams, and sometimes SSC. As a result, he lost several years and a lot of energy. So, his advice to young aspirants is clear. First, decide which exam you want to prepare for. If it is Uttarakhand civil services, then give it your full focus.
Association with SAMVEG IAS
Antariksha joined SAMVEG IAS in 2023. First, he took the RO prelims test series. Later, he joined our Mains Guidance Programme (MGP) and Interview Guidance Programme (IGP). Along the way, he kept giving mains tests and mock interviews here. According to him, his answer writing improved a lot after he started offline tests. Indeed, the journey of Antariksha Bahuguna Rank 1 UKPSC Lower PCS 2024 shows that patience pays off.
Watch the full interaction with Samveg IAS:
Check out the results of Samveg IAS students in UKPSC Lower PCS 2024.