The Civil Service examination is an annual competitive test conducted in India to select candidates for high-level positions in the government. Each year, tens of thousands of individuals apply for this exam. However, it is important to note that the pass rate is remarkably low due to the extensive syllabus of the exam.

Are you considering applying for the UPSC? The path to becoming an IAS officer is demanding, requiring candidates to overcome numerous challenges and obstacles, from preparation to posting. Only individuals who are responsible and dedicated can successfully navigate through these challenges without faltering.

Numerous ambitious IAS officers are diligently fulfilling their responsibilities. Their biographies can serve as a source of inspiration for your own journey.

Let's take a look at the remarkable career of IAS Nidhi Chaudhary as an example of an outstanding civil service officer.

IAS Nidhi Choudhary Biography

Nidhi Choudhary, belonging to the Maharashtra state cadre of the 2012 batch, is an inspirational young IAS officer. She has gained popularity through her unwavering passion and diligent work ethic. Nidhi is renowned for her commitment to honesty and ethical values. Hailing from a modest background, her siblings have also successfully cleared the UPSC examination.

Prior to taking the UPSC examination, Nidhi served as an officer at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). She garnered attention in the media previously due to a tweet she posted, which appeared to express admiration for Nathuram Godse.

A significant turning point in Nidhi's journey occurred when her sister, Vidhi Choudhari (AIR 285, CSE 2008), achieved success in the Civil Service Examination, securing a position in the IPS. This accomplishment served as an inspiration for Nidhi, motivating her to pursue a similar path.

IAS Nidhi Choudhary Wiki

With exceptional achievements, Nidhi Choudhari, who completed her post-graduation in Public Administration (2007) and English (2005) from the University of Rajasthan in Jaipur, has successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination of 2011, demonstrating her outstanding performance.

IAS Nidhi Choudhary: Raigad Collector

Nidhi Choudhary held the position of Deputy Secretary in the Water Supply and Sanitation Department in Mumbai before being assigned as the Raigad Collector. However, due to her previous controversial tweet about Nathuram Godse and Mahatma Gandhi, she faced scrutiny and was eventually dismissed from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Despite deleting the tweet later, the incident stirred a significant controversy in India.

Moreover, Nidhi Choudhary faced legal consequences for violating the All India Service Conduct Rules of 1968 with regards to her tweet.

IAS Nidhi Choudhary: UPSC Marksheet

Given below is the civil service main examination marksheet of 2011 of Nidhi Choudhary

IAS Nidhi Choudhary: Optional Subject

In 2005, she successfully cleared the SSC examination and secured a position as a Section Officer at the Comptroller and Auditor General's office (CAG). The following year, in 2006, she obtained a role as a Senior Manager at the Rajasthan State Co-operative Bank. Furthermore, in 2008, she accomplished another milestone by passing the UGC-NET examination.

For the past five years, she has diligently served as a Manager at the Reserve Bank of India. Alongside her professional experience, she also excelled in the UGC-NET examination in Public Administration, along with several other specialized tests. With her confidence in her abilities, she decided to choose Public Administration as her optional subject.

IAS Nidhi Choudhary: UPSC Strategy

Nidhi shares valuable strategy and preparation tips for excelling in the UPSC examination.

According to her, finding a balance between her career, family, and exam preparation was challenging. However, with the support and encouragement of her family, particularly her husband, she embarked on her journey of studying for the Civil Service Examination. Despite her responsibilities of work and caring for her son and other family obligations, she managed to dedicate herself to the exam preparation.

Nidhi always harbored a deep passion for social service, particularly in the areas of girl-child and women empowerment. While working at the RBI, she actively contributed to these causes in various ways. Nevertheless, she realized that the civil services offered a much broader platform to serve the masses, which fueled her desire to pursue a career in this field.

First Attempt

In her first attempt, she displayed satisfactory performance; however, she recognized that she lacked certain examination strategies. Additionally, being occupied with nursing her child, she couldn't devote her full attention to the preparation process. Despite these challenges, she managed to secure a position, albeit with a lower rank.

Undeterred, she made the decision to make another attempt with her sights set on achieving the IAS position. This time, she focused on improving the areas that required more time and preparation. She diligently practiced answering questions and honed her time management skills to ensure optimal performance.

Strategy for Essay

Having had prior experience in writing for newspapers and magazines, she didn't find the essay section to be a cause for major concern. She dedicated her study time to familiarize herself with current and relevant topics and invested considerable effort into practice. Over time, her passion for reading, writing, and engaging in debates proved to be beneficial hobbies.

According to her, excelling in essay writing requires extensive practice in expanding one's vocabulary and effectively expanding upon the given topic to meet the required word count. She emphasizes the importance of utilizing one's knowledge and understanding to enrich the essay content.

Strategy for Interview

As part of her interview preparation, she actively participated in mock interviews to gain practice. During the actual interview, her preparation focused on handling bio-data-related questions and engaging in conversations with her father and husband, which proved to be beneficial.

Nidhi possesses a strong determination, putting in consistent hard work and maintaining unwavering self-belief. Despite embarking on her career journey at the young age of 22, she successfully managed her path and has now reached her desired destination.

Optional Subject Strategy

It is advisable for aspirants to diligently take notes on the subjects they have studied. With repeated readings, the process of note-taking becomes more effective. Subsequently, aspirants can categorize the topics based on their preferences, such as civil services and human management, allowing for easier organization and review.

According to Nidhi, it is crucial not to neglect the optional subjects. Aspirants should allocate regular study time for their chosen optional subject, alongside General Studies. Setting aside two to three hours each day specifically for the optional subject, particularly Public Administration, is highly recommended.

Some More Optional Subject Tips

According to Nidhi, for aspirants who have chosen Public Administration as their optional subject for the IAS Mains Exam, it is crucial to adopt the correct approach to answering the questions, regardless of whether they come from a similar subject background or not.

Merely approaching the optional paper in the same manner as the General Studies Papers may not yield satisfactory results in this subject. Therefore, as a beginner in the Civil Services Exam, regardless of one's familiarity with the subject, it is important to grasp the essence of the question and strive to answer it by incorporating appropriate theories and concepts related to public administration. This approach is likely to lead to a higher score in the examination.

Conclusion

Nidhi, in her effort to encourage and inspire future UPSC aspirants, emphasized that there are no shortcuts to success in life. She emphasized the importance of hard work, stating that every individual, every aspirant, must dedicate themselves for 24 hours a day to become the successful person they aspire to be. She also emphasized the significance of utilizing time effectively and ensuring that every moment is dedicated to achieving one's goals.

Hopefully, this article by IAS Nidhi Choudhary has provided you with motivation and inspiration. Remember that the UPSC examination is one where most aspirants do not experience the joy of victory in their first attempt. It is possible to taste the bitterness of failure multiple times, but it is crucial to persevere and continue practicing and preparing. Best of luck to all aspirants!