Meet woman who cracked UPSC in fourth attempt to become IAS officer, secured AIR...

The journey of IAS Abhilasha Sharma is an inspiring example of how the fundamental essence of fulfilment can be found in unwavering resolve. This statement is often repeated but always with profound truth. Hailing from Haryana originally, Abhilasha currently resides in Gurugram. She faced some initial challenges while attempting to become an IAS officer.

When she started her intense study sessions for the UPSC exam in 2013, she had three unsuccessful attempts in a row. Her hopes for the IAS were briefly clouded by the frustration and disappointment that followed. However, Abhilasha, unfazed by hardship, found her resolve again. She made a strict timetable and spent 15 to 16 hours a day studying, concentrating on Political Science and International Relations as her electives.

The turning point came on her fourth try, when she secured a respectable All India Rank of 68.Abhilasha credits her success to the priceless lessons she learned from her mistakes and her proactive self-improvement.

She described her difficult journey in a recent interview, emphasising the crucial part her husband Ankit, a businessman she married in 2017, played. As their friendship turned into love, it became a reliable source of inspiration, providing both emotional and material support.

She stresses how important it is to read the newspaper every day in order to stay up to date on current events, how important it is to study NCERT books diligently in order to strengthen basic knowledge, and how important it is to approach aptitude—a subject she herself found difficult—with sincerity. Her story is a powerful example of the transformational power of unwavering determination in achieving one's goals.