UPSC or Union Public Service Commission or civil exam is one of the most important and difficult exams in India. It is a very difficult task to crack UPSC. A lot of learning skill and motivation is required to clear this exam. Many people lose motivation over time due to many factors such as syllabus, stress and the amount of hard work required. It is not easy but also not impossible. One with sheer determination and motivation can crack this exam. To make UPSC aspirants motivated and to keep them that way we here, at careerguide.com, are going to put in the picture the story of a working professional mother of 4 year old who cleared UPSC and got AIR 2 in UPSC 2017. The story is very motivational and inspirational. This IAS success story is about Anu Kumari.
Anu Kumari

Childhood
Anu Kumari was born and raised in Sonipat, Haryana in a typical middle-class family. She is a 31-year-old, married and has a 4-year-old. Her position was the second of the four siblings. She has one elder sister and two younger brothers. Her father was a HR in hospital and her mother is a housewife. She did most of her schooling in Sonipat and then got admission in DU in Hindu College for a Bachelor in Physics hon. course. Her struggle of travelling from Sonipat to New Delhi in metro to study in Hindu College daily gave her returns. She mentioned that it wasn’t a problem for her as a group of students went from Sonipat to New Delhi and she travelled with them.
Post-Graduation
Later she went to Nagpur to complete her post-graduation. She did MBA Finance from IMT Nagpur. It was a tough decision for her to move to Nagpur as she hasn’t lived away from her family. She was homesick in the starting. Eventually, she went to Nagpur and made a lot of friends with which she felt safe.
Working professional
She got a campus placement in ICICI Prudent Mutual Fund at Mumbai. So, She went to Mumbai and worked there for 2 years. She stated that Mumbai is a safe place for women. In 2012 she resigned from the job and moved to Gurgaon to work there and ultimately got married there to a businessman.
Chance to UPSC
As a teenager, she always wanted to take UPSC but avoided due to financial stability. She had thoughts about taking UPSC and making our country a better and safe place for women. In due course, her uncle and brother convinced her to take UPSC. So she resigned from the Gurgaon job, from which she was receiving a salary of 9 Lakhs, and started studying for UPSC. The time she quit her job, there was only 1 and a half month left to prepare to take the exam but she prepared tirelessly but got left out by 1 mark. She didn’t get upset and started studying for the next attempt.
Her Success story
In her next attempt, she not only cleared UPSC but also got AIR 2. She was really happy that her hard work paid off but it was not easy for her. For her study, She left her son at daycares and maintained a distance with him for a long time because she would get distracted by him and he required a lot of time from her. She didn’t go to any coaching but she did study 10-12 hours a day. As her optional subject, She chose sociology. She had knowledge of Economics because she had studied MBA Finance.
About her struggle
She gracefully balanced her household work and her studying for the exam. She had to live with her aunt for a long time to study. Her hard work as She studied day and night and gave her all in and she got the results. She gives credit to her husband for always supporting her and understanding her decision to quit a well earning job. Out of gratitude, She gives credit to her mother, father and aunt who understood her intentions and gave her motivation. She also gives credit to her uncle and brother who convinced her to take UPSC. She had a belief in herself. It is not easy to leave a 2 and a half year son to leave at daycare to go and study. She mentioned that she often cried after leaving her son at daycare. Her hard work paid off well.
Accomplishments
She was made the brand ambassador of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao by Haryana Government. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw that she got AIR 2. It was all her struggle and determination and optimism. She has become an IAS success story and motivation for all.
She is an inspiration for all. Hope that the IAS success story motivated you. Best of luck!!!
To read more about her, click here
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