Meet woman, IIT, IIM alumna who quit job in London to crack UPSC twice without coaching to become IPS, then IAS

If one talks about the toughest exams in India then we would immediately think of UPSC, followed by JEE for IIT and CAT for IIM. There is one extraordinarily brilliant woman who has cracked all three of these exams and now works as an IAS officer, and serves as a beacon of success and humility for millions of aspirants.

We are talking about IAS officer Divya Mittal from Rewari, Haryana. She completed her engineering degree from the esteemed IIT Delhi. Later, she obtained an MBA from IIM Bangalore. Thereafter, she secured a high-paying job in London.However, she quit it to fulfil her UPSC dreams and returned to India along with her husband Gagandeep Singh.

She cracked UPSC in the first attempt without coaching and became an IPS. Thereafter, in her second attempt, she secured 68th rank in 2012 UPSC CSE and finally became an IAS. 

Earlier serving as the District Magistrate (DM) of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh, Divya currently is DM of Sant Kabir Nagar district. Her husband, Gagandeep Singh, also cracked UPSC and is serving as IAS in Kanpur in the service of the Indian government.

Divya had revealed on Twitter her secret mantra and strategies for successfully cracking entrance tests for prestigious institutions like the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT), Indian Institutes of Management (IIM), and UPSC. 

In her advice, Divya emphasized the importance of unwavering focus and determination in achieving academic goals. She urged aspirants to evaluate their phone usage and app habits regularly, as distractions can often go unnoticed. Mittal recommended prioritizing preparation for IIT, IIM, and UPSC exams and suggested being mindful of time spent on mobile apps.

Highlighting the importance of morning study sessions, Mittal shared a personal technique – placing her alarm away from her reach to compel her to rise early and commence her studies. To enhance concentration, she advocated for intensive study periods of 90-120 minutes, followed by a brief 15-minute break. Mittal also recommended incorporating the Trata meditation practice to improve focus.

Mittal added that aspirants must engage in outdoor exercise, preferably a 20-minute walk, and connect with nature by spending time in a park. She stressed the significance of sunlight exposure, even if only for 5-10 minutes.

Concluding her thread, Divya Mittal acknowledged that her tips might seem simple but asserted that consistent application could yield significant results in achieving academic goals.