Ashutosh Rana Rank 18 UKPSC 2024: Deputy Education Officer
The UKPSC Result 2024 arrived on 1 June with great news for a persistent aspirant. Ashutosh Rana Rank 18 UKPSC 2024 secured the post of Deputy Education Officer. Notably, he had failed three different prelims before this success.
He shared his honest journey in a success talk with SAMVEG IAS. So, here are the key lessons from that conversation.
Major Highlights of Ashutosh Rana’s Interview with Samveg IAS
Background and Motivation
Ashutosh comes from Barkot in Uttarkashi district. He studied at Barkot till Class 10 and then moved to Dehradun. Later, he graduated from SGRR PG College and completed his MA in Political Science from DAV PG College.
His father served in the Revenue Department. Therefore, Ashutosh saw early how civil servants contribute to society. As a result, he decided to join the services himself.
Seven Years and Self-Doubt
Ashutosh began preparing in 2019, right after graduation. Overall, the journey took about seven years. Naturally, early failures made him doubt himself.
However, three things kept him going. First, his friend circle gave honest reviews of his weak areas. Second, he stayed in regular touch with his family. Finally, he kept believing, “I can do it.” Also, when friends from his group got selected, he saw that success was possible.
Prelims Strategy of Ashutosh Rana Rank 18 UKPSC 2024
Ashutosh calls prelims the toughest stage because competition is hyper there. In fact, once he cleared prelims, he cleared mains and interview too. His plan includes:
- Right resources: First, know what to read and how to read it.
- Maximum practice: Solve PYQs, Ghatnachakra questions, app-based tests and online mocks.
- OMR practice: Many candidates fill the wrong bubbles. So, practise filling an OMR sheet before the exam.
- Fix weak areas: He found Uttarakhand facts, computer and maths reasoning weak. Therefore, he worked on them one by one.
Uttarakhand now carries nearly 33% of prelims questions. Moreover, it covers two mains papers. Hence, a strong Uttarakhand base helps at every stage.
Mains Strategy of Ashutosh Rana Rank 18 UKPSC 2024
- Catch the keywords: First, break the long syllabus into key points. For example, society includes secularism and communalism.
- Filter resources: Then, decide your sources and drop the rest.
- Own bullet notes: Make two to three pages of notes per topic. After all, the answer itself is only two pages long.
- Point format: He preferred points over paragraphs, because points let you add more ideas. Also, long paragraphs can tire the examiner.
- Ethics: Additionally, solve as many case studies as possible.
For books, he relied on NCERTs, Laxmikanth and Spectrum. For Uttarakhand, he used Pariksha Vani and Ajay Singh Rawat. Moreover, he sometimes used ChatGPT for reference.
Interview: From Fear to Confidence
Ashutosh admits he feared the interview a lot. Therefore, he says good guidance matters first. Next, take four to five mock interviews. In fact, he took four mocks at SAMVEG IAS, and they slowly built his confidence.
Also, if you do not know an answer, say sorry sincerely. Boards want to see that you do not bluff.
His Success Mantra
For Ashutosh Rana Rank 18 UKPSC 2024, a strong foundation is everything. Facts help you clear prelims, while concepts help in mains and interview. Additionally, he shares three more tips:
- Clarity: Decide whether you want PCS, UPSC or one-day exams.
- Use the lean period: Do not wait for the notification. Instead, fix your weak areas early.
- Patience: Finally, keep working hard and trust the process.
Association with SAMVEG IAS
Ashutosh wrote many mains mocks at SAMVEG IAS. According to him, these mocks turned out to be the most accurate for the new pattern. Initially, they felt lengthy and tough. However, that practice made the real exam feel easier.
He also praises Samveg Sir’s availability. “Sir supports students till the very end,” he says. Clearly, the journey of Ashutosh Rana Rank 18 UKPSC 2024 proves that persistence beats every setback.
Watch his entire interaction with Samveg IAS:
