UPSC Topper 2021 AIR 2 Ankita Agarwal: Preparation Strategy, Aspirations, Daily Routine, Optional subject

UPSC Topper Ankita Agarwal bagged rank 2 in IAS result 2021. Read further to know about her educational background, preparation strategy, motivation, hobbies and other facts. 

UPSC Result 2021 for the very first time saw the top three ranks secured all by women. UPSC Topper Ankita Agarwal (AIR 2) cleared the UPSC CSE 2021 exam in her third attempt. She first appeared for the exam in 2019 and secured the 239th All India Rank. Later, she resigned from her corporate job and attempted the exam in 2020. She obtained the AIR 236 Rank in 2019 and was taking training with Indian Revenue Services Customs and Indirect Taxes at Faridabad. Later, she decided to study harder and join the Indian Administrative Services (IAS).

Ankita Agarwal IAS Topper 2021: Educational Background

She hails from Kolkata and completed her Economics (Hons.) from St Stephen’s College, Delhi University in 2017. She has completed her primary and secondary education in Kolkata. She later completed her schooling from DPS Ruby Park where she got in 2003.  

She also has worked for Dalberg, a consultancy firm for about a year, focusing on countries like Bangladesh. Thereafter, in 2018, she left her corporate job for UPSC CSE preparation. In order to focus, she also left all social media platforms since she felt they were too distracting. She said she has worked really hard and expected to qualify for the civil services exam but getting the second rank seemed far-fetched and came as a surprise. She said her family is really happy and has always supported her in pursuing her dream to become an IAS officer. However, they have never burdened her with their dreams or forced her to study hard. She also said that she feels grateful to have a family who has provided her support throughout her journey of clearing the UPSC Exam.

Ankita Agarwal IAS Topper 2021: Motivation

She started preparing for UPSC when she was in the second year of her college. However, she was not sure that time, and hence worked for a year in the private sector. She then quit her job to exclusively prepare for the IAS Exam. 

UPSC Toppers Ankita Agarwal's Hobbies

She said that she couldn't cultivate on her hobbies much, but it was worth it. The preparation had a lot of learning curves. She further said that in order to achieve anything in life, you have to make sacrifices but it seems unimportant when you get the right result.

UPSC Toppers Ankita Agarwal's: Family Background

She was born and brought up in a joint family. Her family belongs to Bihar. Her father is a businessman who owns a hardware store in the Burrabazar area. Her mother is a house wife. Her brother is pursuing MBA in Delhi.

UPSC Topper Ankita Agarwal's Aspirations

She wish to work in the areas of women's empowerment and primary healthcare. She also said that she desires to serve at the grass-root level and believes that this is the best chance to do so, being an IAS. She said her main reason to join IAS was to address the issues of poverty, unemployment and climate change. She has chosen West Bengal as the cadre of her choice. 

UPSC Toppers Ankita Agarwal's Preparation Strategy

She said she believed totally in self-study as well as coaching. She said that self-study plus coaching plays important role in an aspirant's life. She started her UPSC preparation 4 years back and other than basic books, she kept herself updated with current affairs.

She kept her preparation well-balanced and also gave time to her family and friends. She studied for atleast 8 to 12 hours in a day. She relied on newspapers and monthly magazines for her current affairs knowledge. She kept her in notes on a computer, as she believes its easier to organise them digitally. She also solved several test series before appearing for the actual exams. 

For UPSC Mains preparation, her focus was do writing practice. In the Mains, she took Political Science and International Relations as her optional subject. She said instead of putting several hours to study, she tried to maintain a sustainable study schedule. She also solved several previous years’ UPSC prelims question papers.

UPSC Toppers Ankita Agarwal's Message for aspirants 

She said one should be very clear with why they want to join the services and if one has the motivation, then it help. It's important to have a sustainable plan since it's a long process which takes at least two years, which helps to motivate.