From NIT Rourkela to UPSC AIR 2, CSE 2023 Odisha topper Animesh Pradhan’s journey was full of struggles
The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the final results of the Civil Service Examination 2023 (CSE 2023) on April 16. Reaching the milestone, Animesh Pradhan, a native from Odisha and NIT Rourkela alumni, secured All India Rank 2 in the nation’s toughest examination. His journey towards this success is both inspiring and touching.
Animesh Pradhan hail from Talcher town in Odisha’s Angul district. He completed his high school from Kendriya Vidyalaya in his hometown. Later, he pursued his graduation in computer science from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela.
While speaking to media about his journey, Animesh revealed that he embarked on his UPSC preparation without the aid of coaching classes. He relied on his own dedication. What motivated him most is, Animesh wanted to clear the examination as soon as possible as his mother was battling with cancer.
Unfortunately, Animesh’s mother passed away a month before his UPSC CSE interview round. As per news reports, he lost his father in December 2015, during Animesh’s Class 11 studies. Despite facing a lot of personal challenges, Animesh stood strong and decided not to give up.
Revealing about his preparation strategy, Animesh said that he used to study daily for five to six hours consistently. He chose Sociology as his optional subject and pursued his UPSC aspirations without attending any coaching classes.
Despite his employment with the Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) in Delhi, he maintained consistency in his studies and stayed focused towards his dreams.
While advising the aspirants of civil services through The Indian Express, Animesh said the aspirants to ask themselves one question, “Why did they start?” According to him, this question would help them to stay motivated and work hard towards their goal.
Ms Kalinga