Dr Saloni Sidana pursued civil providers after finishing her MBBS. She aced UPSC CSE, securing 74th rank in her first try. Serving as Mandla’s district collector in Madhya Pradesh, she lately went viral for spending solely Rs 500 on her wedding ceremony.

Presently posted because the district collector of Mandla in Madhya Pradesh, turning into an IAS officer was by no means a life-long dream for Saloni Sidana.

A health care provider by training, she accomplished her MBBS from Delhi’s Girl Hardinge Medical Faculty in 2012. Earlier than getting ready for the UPSC CSE (Union Public Service Fee Civil Providers Examination), Saloni obtained a possibility to maneuver overseas for increased research. Nonetheless, she selected to remain in India.

“That is when my father instructed that I seem for the UPSC examination,” Saloni, who hails from Jalalabad city in Punjab, tells The Higher India.

Speaking about her motivation to pursue a profession being a civil servant, she says, “I nonetheless worth the career of a health care provider. The commonality between the 2 jobs [doctors and civil servants] is that you simply take care of folks. In contrast to many different professions the place you may have a desk job, being a health care provider allowed me to deal instantly with folks, which is similar after you develop into a public servant.”

“Additionally, UPSC means that you can broaden your information horizon. If I had been simply a health care provider, I might haven’t learn geography, civics, or economics. Throughout preparation, I obtained to learn about my nation intimately. That is the fantastic thing about the examination,” says the 35-year-old, who didn’t take drugs as her elective however a brand new topic — legislation.

Saloni’s quest for information helped her crack the UPSC examination on her very first try. With a yr’s preparation, she was in a position to obtain an All India Rank of 74.

Initially, Saloni was allotted to the Andhra Pradesh cadre. Publish her marriage with IAS Ashish Vashishta, she joined the Madhya Pradesh cadre. For his or her marriage, Saloni paid a court docket charge of Rs 500 and reported to work inside two days. She has been praised for her simplicity.

The 2014-batch IAS officer shares her technique for the first-time aspirants:

Don’t observe what everybody else does

The IAS officer advises UPSC aspirants to not observe a blanket strategy.

“Work out what works out greatest for you. It’s worthwhile to have a really customised strategy for your self. Some folks choose learning in teams, some choose to check alone in a room. That’s completely okay,” she provides.

Be constant

Given Saloni had roughly a yr for preparation, she selected to be constant in her preparation. 

“Making ready for UPSC shouldn’t be a 100-metre race. It’s a marathon. Right here, it’s a must to research for a minimum of a complete yr. You can’t have abrupt moments of very in depth research after which go right into a shell,” she opines.

In contrast to most aspirants, Saloni says, she was not obsessive about the preparation. “I used to be very devoted and honest to my preparation, however on the identical time, I used to be relaxed and never confused,” she provides.

What helped her crack the examination within the very first try, Saloni says, was her consistency.

“On daily basis, I might dedicate round six to eight hours to preparation. There was not a single day once I took an off. Normally, some folks research for 12 hours someday after which waste time sleeping for your entire subsequent day. I didn’t do this,” she says.

Search steerage

“There’s nothing mistaken if you wish to take help from teaching. Personally, I most well-liked becoming a member of a training institute the place that they had very much less aspirants, as a substitute of going to a category of 400,” says Saloni.

“I solely had 5 months to look for prelims. I might seclude myself in a library, away from the chaos of aspirants who preserve advising others to observe this or that strategy,” she provides.

Dwell in your consolation zone a month earlier than the examination

Saloni says that she moved to her consolation zone — her house — within the final month earlier than showing for the examination.

“I didn’t wish to get influenced by anybody. I restricted speaking to different aspirants. I solely talked to mates from drugs, my lecturers, and relations,” she says.

“On this interval, I focussed on revising the previous content material as a substitute of studying new subjects. Additionally, I might give mock papers as soon as each three days. I might dedicate one entire day to analysing the mock paper,” she provides.

Saloni confused that giving extra mocks doesn’t assist if aspirants don’t analyse them. “Finally, their goal is to show you out of your errors. The entire train is futile if you don’t analyse them,” she factors out.

Methods to craft a robust essay

UPSC examination assessments not solely the content material of your essay but in addition your writing expertise, the circulate of concepts, and the way aspirants weave all of it collectively. Saloni says acing essay writing doesn’t occur in a single day.

Sharing her technique, the IAS officer says, “I puzzled what sort of writing engages me as a reader. I might learn the editorial part of The Hindu and write down my inference within the type of a narrative.”

“I integrated that very same fashion in my reply writing. Your essay must be crisp, partaking, and backed by info. You may as well embody flowcharts to make solutions fascinating,” she provides.

No fancy solutions within the interview

The IAS officer says she didn’t give any fancy solutions to the interviewers. “I used to be simply myself”

She shares an occasion from her interview. “I’m a state-level silver medalist in taekwondo. I keep in mind I used to be instructed that I regarded so fragile and that it didn’t appear to be I may apply taekwondo. I politely stated that power issues greater than bodily look. I used to be not like ‘Oh, my god, sir, it’s all about willpower’,” she laughs.

“They’re too senior; they perceive if you find yourself not being your self. They don’t respect it,” provides Saloni.

Edited by Pranita Bhat; All images: Mandla District Collectorate Fb, Saloni Sidana