SHUBHAM KUMAR

FAMILY AND EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND

Shubham Kumar hails from Kumari Pur village in Katihar District of Bihar. Son of Devanad Singh and Punam Devi, Shubham completed his primary education in his native village and later shifted to the Vidya Vihar Residential School in Purnia, from where he cleared his matriculation in 2012. He completed his Class 12 in 2014 from Bokaro and then his B.tech in civil engineering from IIT Bombay. In his second attempt, he got selected in the Indian Defence Accounts Service (IDAS) when he got the 290th rank. He is presently undergoing training at the National Academy of Defence Financial Management (NADFM), Pune.

WHY CIVIL SERVICES

Shubham Kumar always wanted to work for the rural people and his passion to work for his state and developing village areas motivated him to become a civil servant. Shubham says, From my young age, I saw the pain of the rural people, to work for them is the sole motivation for me to take civil service.

NUMBER OF ATTEMPTS

This was Shubham’s third attempt. His first attempt in 2018 went in vain as he could not clear prelims. In the second attempt in 2019, he secured the All India Rank (AIR 290), and in his third attempt, he managed to bag AIR1

STUDY PLAN AND SCHEDULE

Regarding his preparation, Shubham says the daily study of 7 to 8 hours, practising previous year papers, mock tests, making a peer group to discuss and share notes, online materials, and exam strategy by two to three coaching institutes helped him in his preparation for UPSC Civil Service exam. Apart from discipline, methodical planning too helped Kumar stay focused. He made daily and weekly goals and slotted dates to assess his preparations. Before retiring at night, he would write his goals for the next day.

ADVICE FOR FUTURE ASPIRANTS

Shubham advised aspirants preparing for UPSC to be consistent, work hard, and be patient. Consistency according to Shubham, is the key to success. Never lose hope, believe in your syllabus, practice a lot, and focus on your strength. Work hard and you will reach your desired goal.