Meet Shradha Shukla who studied online and aced UPSC with AIR 45 to achieve IAS dream

Chattisgarh’s Shradha Shukla is among the many women who achieved standout ranks in yesterday’s UPSC CSE 2021 results. One of the most prestigious examinations in India conducted by the Union Public Service Commission, this year’s civil services exam saw the top four spots all go to women and several others ranking high in the merit list. The results brought several inspiring stories to the fore with one being of Shradha Shukla, who achieved the admirable All-India Rank of 45 in just her second attempt, achieving the IAS dream through online studies.

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Hailing from state capital Raipur, Shukla has cleared the UPSC civil services written exam for the second time this year. The 23-year-old who just missed qualification having been on the waiting list the first time, is aiming to break the myth of necessity of coaching to clear the tough exam.

The young UPSC aspirant now on her way to becoming an esteemed bureaucrat claims to have done her preparations at home with online study. Spending huge amount of money to get coaching from civil services training institutes is not the only way to clear the exams, she asserted in an interview to a news outlet.

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During the CSE interview, Shukla revealed that she had sung the Chhattisgarh state song in front of the panel. She also revealed being asked about skills that she felt are required to become an officer of the Indian Administrative services and challenges faces by a collector. Apart from the UPSC exam, she also reportedly cleared the state-level accounts and tally services entrance examination. Her father is a leader of the Chhattisgarh Congress called Sushil Anand.

After doing her schooling from Raipur’s MGM school, Shukla pursued BSc and MSc education from a degree college recognized by Pt. Ravishankar Shukla University. She then prepared for UPSC from Delhi's Parth Academy doing her entire studies from home through the online medium, getting AIR 45 in her third attempt, it was reported.

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