Meet IAS Vaishanvi Paul, know how one question helped her crack UPSC exam in...

Vaishnavi Paul, a 26-year-old from Gonda, Uttar Pradesh, achieved an impressive 62nd rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination (CSE) 2022. Her success garnered attention as she brought pride to her family and community with her outstanding accomplishments.

Becoming an IAS or IPS officer is a dream for many, but only a few manage to conquer the challenging path. The journey involves passing multiple stages, from the preliminary exam to the interview round. Vaishnavi demonstrated remarkable determination, clearing the tough examination with a commendable rank on her fourth attempt.

Coming from a family where her father is a businessman and her mother is a teacher, Vaishnavi's path to success was far from easy. Her journey required persistence and unwavering confidence, driven by her commitment to achieving her goal of becoming an IAS officer.

Her inspiration to pursue a career in civil services came from reading newspapers. As a child, she often watched her father engrossed in the daily news, which sparked her interest. According to reports from News18 Hindi, Vaishnavi was fascinated by the administrative roles highlighted in the newspapers, particularly the work of District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police. The power and responsibilities associated with IAS officers motivated her further. Another key influence in her journey was IAS officer Roshan Jacob, who had previously served as the District Magistrate of Gonda.

Vaishnavi completed her schooling at Fatima School in Gonda, before moving to Delhi for her higher education. She pursued a degree in Economics at Lady Shri Ram College and later completed her Master's at Jawaharlal Nehru University.

During her IAS interview, one particular question stood out to her. She was asked how she would handle a situation as a District Magistrate if the previous Magistrate had poor coordination with the Superintendent of Police. Vaishnavi confidently replied that she would approach the situation with a positive mindset and work towards rebuilding the professional relationship.

Vaishnavi's journey was marked by perseverance. While she cleared the UPSC Preliminary exam on her first attempt, she fell short in the mains. On her third attempt, she successfully passed both the prelims and mains but did not make it through the interview stage. Rather than being discouraged, she used these setbacks as motivation to keep going. After taking some time to reflect, she resumed her preparation with renewed determination, ultimately leading to her success in the UPSC exam.