UPSC results 2022: Rank 3, Uma Harathi says, ‘Group study with my friends helped me’

An alumnus of IIT-Hyderabad, Uma always dreamt of becoming an IAS officer, motivated by her father who is a Telangana police officer.

“Since childhood, my father encouraged me to prepare for administrative services. However, influenced by my friends and peers, I chose to prepare for engineering entrance exams and cracked JEE after Class 12. During my graduation years, I realised that my dream of joining the administrative services never changed and by the fourth year, I decided to prepare (for UPSC exams) full-time. I also opted out of the job placements at IIT,” Uma said.

The road to success wasn’t that easy for the 27-year-old who failed in her first four attempts. “UPSC is an unpredictable exam and I am a living example of it. While I couldn’t clear the prelims in the first two attempts, I managed to reach the interview stage in the third attempt, only to fail due to low scores in mains optional subjects. In the fourth attempt, I could not clear the preliminary stage. This was a turning point in my preparation given that I was not comfortable with my optional subject (geography). The failure gave me enough time to introspect and I decided to change my optional subject to anthropology in the fifth attempt, which was indeed the right decision,” Uma said.

Amid setbacks, Uma maintained her mental and emotional strength by engaging herself in hobbies such as cooking, playing badminton and spending time with her pet dog.

“The UPSC journey is tough and challenging. And after investing significant years of life, every failed step brings a thousand questions. But the long exam cycle also teaches one to be calm and patient. This preparation helped me recognise my mental needs,” Uma said.