Failing Class 6 to securing AIR 2 in UPSC exam in the first attempt: IAS Rair's Success Story

IAS Success Stories: Rukmani Riar, a resident of Gurdaspur in Punjab, prepared for the UPSC exam without any coaching.

For several years, students study in order to take the Civil Services Exam administered by the Union Public Service Commission. Many candidates enroll in coaching centres, while others choose to study independently. Today let's learn how Rukmani Riar, a resident of Gurdaspur in Punjab, prepared for the UPSC exam without coaching and accomplished her dream of becoming an IAS officer by securing the second position in all India in the first attempt.

1. Failed Grade 6

Rukmani Riar was not a brilliant student initially and failed the sixth grade. After failing, she felt ashamed to face her family members and teachers and used to think what others think about her, which always kept her on the edge. After several months, she pulled herself out of it and turned her fear into inspiration.

2. Rukmini's early life and education

Rukmani Riar's early education was from Gurdaspur. After this, in fourth grade she was admitted to Sacred Heart School in Dalhousie. And after class 12, Rukmani graduated in Social Science from Guru Nanak Dev University in Amritsar. Later, she secured a Gold Medal for her Master's degree in Social Sciences from the Tata Institute in Mumbai 

3. Internship

After her Post-graduation, Rukmani did internships with NGOs like Ashodaya in Mysore and Annapurna Mahila Mandal in Mumbai allied to the Planning Commission. It was during this time, Rukmani was motivated to take the path of Civil Services and underwent UPSC exams.

4. Securing Second Place in the First Attempt

After the internships, Rukmani Riar started preparing for the Civil Service Exam and accomplished success in the first attempt. She did not take any coaching for UPSC exam preparations and solely relied on Self-Study. Rukmani secured AIR2 in UPSC in 2011 and fulfilled her dream of becoming an IAS officer.

5. Rukmani’s Secret for preparing UPSC exam

Rukmani Riar relied on NCERT books from 6th to 12th standard and also read newspapers and magazines daily to prepare for the interview. She took part in several mock tests to minimize mistakes during the exam and also solved the question papers of the last several years.