Santosh Uniyal Rank 5 UKPSC 2021: State Tax Officer
The UKPSC Upper PCS 2021 result rewarded a candidate who refused to give up. Santosh Uniyal Rank 5 UKPSC 2021 secured the post of State Tax Officer. Moreover, he had missed the final merit list four or five times before this.
He spoke with Dheeraj Karki in a success talk with SAMVEG IAS. So, here are the key lessons from his journey.
Major Highlights of Santosh Uniyal’s Interview with Samveg IAS
From Teaching to Civil Services
Santosh completed his graduation in 2019. At first, he wanted to become a teacher. However, his father suggested civil services as a good career. So, he started preparing soon after. From then on, he put all his effort into it.
Prelims Strategy: Uttarakhand First
Earlier, he was preparing for UPSC. Then, the UKPSC form came. Since Uttarakhand was the new part, he decided to prepare it first. For this, he used the Pariksha Vani book. For general studies, he kept standard sources:
- Polity: Laxmikanth.
- Geography: NCERTs.
- Economics: NCERTs.
- History: Books like Spectrum.
Pariksha Vani is written in Hindi, while Santosh comes from an English-medium background. Therefore, it needed extra effort at first. However, within one or two months, he became comfortable with it. For him, prelims was the easier stage.
Mains Strategy of Santosh Uniyal Rank 5 UKPSC 2021
Mains was the real challenge. In particular, converting Hindi content on Uttarakhand into English on the spot was tough. Still, he prepared Pariksha Vani thoroughly, and it proved enough for mains.
In the old pattern, the Hindi and Maths papers pushed candidates up the merit list. His maths was already strong. However, Hindi got the least of his time. As a result, he scored only 144 out of 300 in that paper. That, he says, pulled his rank down a little. So, he urges aspirants to give Hindi more focus.
Advice for the New Mains Pattern
The new pattern has four UPSC-style GS papers, an Essay paper and a Hindi paper. Also, it has two Uttarakhand papers worth 400 marks. In his view, GS and the Essay keep everyone in the race. However, Hindi and the two Uttarakhand papers can lift your rank.
Quality English content on Uttarakhand is limited. So, these papers are not easy for everyone. Moreover, almost half of the Hindi paper is traditional Hindi, and it can fetch good marks. For the full pattern, see our UKPSC Upper PCS exam guide.
Writing Skills: Content Is the Key
Santosh sees a test series mainly as timing practice. First, it shows whether you can finish the paper on time. Finishing gives an edge. However, filling pages alone earns nothing. Instead, add value to every answer. For example, add a current affairs example, a government scheme or a relevant initiative. “Content is the key to clear mains,” he says.
Staying Motivated in a Long Cycle
The Uttarakhand exam cycle can stretch over two or three years. Therefore, prepare yourself mentally for it. After all, the exam will happen and the result will come one day. Meanwhile, someone else is studying for the same post. So, stay self-motivated. You may also try UPSC alongside, since its cycle is shorter. However, keep your prime focus on this exam if you want a post in Uttarakhand.
Also, talk to someone who knows the process, ideally someone who has written mains. In his case, his family did not know these details. Instead, topper interviews helped him.
Learning from Failure
Santosh missed the final merit list four or five times, including in UPSC and the Lower PCS. Then, he decided to learn from his own failures instead of copying others. Finally, he focused only on Uttarakhand PCS. Even then, his interview did not go very well. He did not have a master’s degree. Also, as a general male candidate, he felt extra pressure. Yet, he made it.
His Success Mantra
Santosh gives the biggest credit to his mother and father. When the family moved from the village, people made hurtful remarks. So, he wanted to prove himself. Moreover, his father never pushed him to take up a job. Also, his friends kept him motivated. Once, at a low point, a friend told him, “In a long race, the tortoise wins, not the hare.” That line kept Santosh Uniyal Rank 5 UKPSC 2021 going.
Association with SAMVEG IAS
Santosh was part of our Mains Guidance Programme (MGP) and Interview Guidance Programme (IGP). However, the credit for this result belongs to his own persistence. Indeed, he kept going after every near miss. We congratulate him and wish him the very best.
Watch the full interaction with Samveg IAS:
Check out all our students who cleared UKPSC Upper PCS 2021.